Polity 2

 Political Theories

Rousseau			General will Features of Rousseau Theory: Contract by all people: Each and all, All with Each: General will, surrender all wills. Every individual was a part of general will not all part: Generally: Majority (Part) General Will is the sum total of total Real Wills: Good to Public, Welfare of all people Relation b/w the ruler and the people: always required, can change govt. General Will: Supreme good, welfare, supreme (Limited) Sovereign (power)---> People (Ruled a/c to General Will of People)   Features of General Will General will is a common consciousness of common good: It is the Combination of Real Wills: Common good of all General Will is Sovereign: All need to follow, obey: can't deny General will can never be wrong: Welfare, conscious, social welfare General Will is Inalienable and Indivisible: cannot be separated from the people (MP, MLA are people) General will is rational and morally superior: no selfish interest, general will (real) General will is NOT the will of majority: Ignore those who are left General will is NOT the will of all the people: NOTA: Not interested in voting     The Concept of Popular Sovereign People Supreme Govt. Rules a/c to people Welfare of the mases is focus   Criticism of Rousseau Theory: The State of Nature is Imaginary: Unhistorical, Blessful etc. Intelligent X; Selfish Interest Vague and impractical: not all calculated Common interest cannot be definitely defined: Perspective, views, opinions differs: Eg: Demonetization, reservation The Concept of General will encourages 'Absolutism' in name of welfare The concept of general will is vague: define, calculate, all have different perspectives, sometimes same opinions; not all have same opinions It encourages state: Absolutism: use of unlimited power, general will: SUPREME, never wrong, social welfare: Drama, more strictness & less liberty
Hannah Arendt			Hannah Arendt is an important thinker for UPSC too so there were questions on her theories quite frequently. She is a foreign thinker and she is a citizen of United States of America but actually, a German who fled away from Germany in the times of Second World War as she was a jew where Anti-Semitism was followed by Adolf Hitler. Arendt have never written any books about all her theories, but her theories can only be understood by reading all her articles to newspapers, journals etc. and on summing up the articles we end up with theories on diverse topics like totalitarianism, revolution, the nature of freedom. Her basic theory is on separating Private sphere and Public sphere as political life and Politics from  Human Activity. She will ask us to concentrate more on public sphere because it is more important than private sphere. She further divides private sphere and mentions biological activity which is cyclic and would waste most of our time in it.
Historical Theory			Fact based History based Step by step (reasons) No. Of facts lead to evolution Aka Evolutionary theory Gradual progress, lead to growth and evolution in the remote and distant past   Factors/ Reasons for the growth of State Social nature of Man Growth of society---> people increase, conflict increase; needs to be fulfilled, work and protection Blood relationship/ kinship: One factor related to the other, Organisation: population, village, town, city, society Male (patriarchy), Female (Matriarchy) Gave up believe on magic etc. Religion as one of the uniting force: Pope- Ashoka etc.   Force theory Power, King, Leadership, Tribe, Kabilas. Eg: Alexander, Mughals, Akbar   Economic Warfare: Property, trade, money, distribution, wealth   Elite theory: Rich people, under control people
		Parameters State Government Elements Govt is an element of the State Govt is Govt LOL Fixed Territory ☺ X Sovereignty ☺ X Membership ☺ X Without State w/o Govt Not possible Govt w/o State possible: colonial Stability State permanent temporary Characteristics Similar everywhere X Nature Abstract Concrete Who State is Master Govt is servant People Oppose People can oppose Govt. Not State Yes