SİYASAL DÜŞÜNCE

In broad terms, the contextual approach stresses the need to historicize the works of political theory in order to understand the particular historical moment and its impact upon the political thinking. According to such an approach to the political thought, the way great philosophers grasp society and the spirit of their own times, the others who address their works, and their sources of influence carry significance only within a contextualized perspective towards the political ideas. It claims that the political target of the philosophers and their wish to change or preserve the social and political order in which they live should be taken into consideration for a better analysis of political thinking.

This broad category of contextual approach first and foremost acknowledges that the social problems of the age in which the political thinkers live set the horizon and content of their thinking. These were also among the major principles set forth by the Cambridge School that was closely affiliated with contextualisation regarding the study of political thought. Among the major figures of this line of approaching to the political ideas, Quentin Skinner and J.G.A. Pocock can be pointed out as the major figures.

Renowned scholar Leo Strauss had a considerable level of impact upon the interpretation of political classics in the post-war era and was the founder of Straussian approach. Explicitly criticising historicism and positivism, he recommended reading between the lines and unorthodox ways of interpretation according to the standards of his own time. For Strauss, studying political thought is “primarily and in a way chiefly... listening to conversations between the great philosophers... the greatest minds, and therefore... studying the great books.”. It consists of a desire to have wisdom and rests on an inquiry to answer questions regarding what the good life is and how a good social order can be built up.

The last quarter of the 20th century witnessed the rise of a de-constructive theory that is named as the postmodern theory. The postmodern approach to the political ideologies and thinking is an outcome of the critique of both contextualization and the Straussian understanding of political ideas. Therefore, the postmodern theorists questioned the notion of representation and the identification of social reality with the elements that supposedly represent the social world itself.

Max Weber, in its ideal typical classification delineated three sources of legitimacy. Ideal type approach here does not refer to a “preferred mode” categorisation but rather classification in thought – in abstract. For Weber, charismatic authority is the type in which the authority is believed to have unnatural superiorities or exceptional characteristics. People, according to Weber follow the charismatic figure “by virtue of his mission” and charisma sets its own limits. Nevertheless, it has a temporary character as charisma will wane into an institution, eventually being routinized. Traditional authority, on the other hand, feeds upon customs and convention. Being a source of conservatism, this type of authority also rests on identification with owner of the authority. Occupying the foreground is not, however, the transformative capacity of the rule or the organization, but rather provision of stability and preservation of social order. Legal-rational authority, as the third type of Weber’s classification, provides a source of legitimacy on a de-personalized and formal basis. The authority of the organization or the political figure rests upon legality and bureaucratic organization acting in legal-rational terms. The legal-rational authority is mostly identified with the modern nation state by social scientists.

Legitimacy can be defined as rightfulness. It should not be limited to being legal, or in accordance with the laws, despite rightfulness to a great extent stems from the legal framework.

Modern ideologies such as liberalism, socialism, and conservatism can be traced back to the Enlightenment and rapid economic growth in the aftermath of the first industrial revolution in late 18th century.

The origins of the terms of right and left lie in certain historical events such as the French Revolution: In the 19th Century France, the terms of left and right were used to delineate the supporters of the Republic vis-á-vis the supporters of the monarchy. Their meanings have transformed to a certain extent in relation to the social political contexts in which they are drawn upon to make distinctions between the political actors.

In contrast with liberal conceptions, statist and developmentalist politicians and economists devised protectionist policies that will protect the economy from harsh competition or particular sectors from foreign competitors in order to speed up the development and increase the pace of the economic growth.

The critical perspective against to the established institutional conceptions of the political thoughts is called as the “postmodern turn”.

Political thoughts are not descriptive, but normative perspectives; meaning that they do not aim to find out how things are, but attempt to convince us how things ought to be.

In broad terms, the contextual approach stresses the need to historicize the works of political theory in order to understand the particular historical moment and its impact upon political thinking.

Historicising the text would also require a discussion on the Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BC) as well as the Greek city-state, i.e. polis. It was clarified in this context Pericles was appealing to his fellow citizens in order to save both the state and the social organization which he helped to build.

Considering the Machiavelli’s Prince as a medieval guide book written for the rulers of the middle ages such as kings, princes or sultans deny the opportunity to reach his precious political wisdom on various political ideas.

In aesthetics and art, the postmodern movement was characterized by eclecticism. In a similar fashion, with respect to literature, postmodern critiques questioned the style and the discourse of modernity associated with functionality and the apparently unshakeable belief in social progress and development

When people refer to the capacity to do something, they might also refer to power, but this time it is rather a specific form and based on potentia that can be considered as potential.

For example, the term government comes from the Latin gubernare and Greek kubernan. It means steering a ship and implies that the path taken by the society and the state is determined by those who govern.