Political Theory (B.A Political Science)

Concepts of state, sovereignty, liberty, equality, justice, rights, democracy and power.

6 MonthsDuration 5Chapters24Topics

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Syllabus · पाठ्यक्रम

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01Unit 1: Nature of Political Theory 4 topics

Meaning, nature and scope of political science
Traditional and modern approaches
Behaviouralism and post-behaviouralism
Relation with history, economics and sociology

02Unit 2: The State and Sovereignty 5 topics

Meaning and elements of the state
Theories of origin - divine, force, social contract, evolutionary
Sovereignty - Austin's monistic theory
Pluralistic theory of sovereignty
State, society, nation and government

03Unit 3: Liberty, Equality and Rights 5 topics

Liberty - negative and positive
Equality - kinds and relation with liberty
Rights - meaning and theories
Human rights
Law - sources and kinds

04Unit 4: Justice, Power and Democracy 5 topics

Justice - Plato and Rawls
Power, authority and legitimacy (Max Weber)
Democracy - meaning, types and theories
Representation and electoral systems
Public opinion

05Unit 5: Political Ideologies 5 topics

Liberalism
Socialism and Marxism
Fascism
Gandhism
Feminism and environmentalism

About

You will be able to

Explain the meaning, nature and scope of political science and political theory
Describe the state - its elements and theories of its origin
Explain sovereignty - monistic and pluralistic views
Discuss the concepts of liberty, equality, justice and rights and their relationships
Explain democracy, power, authority and legitimacy
Compare major ideologies - liberalism, socialism, Marxism and Gandhism

Who it is for

B.A Political Science students of Semester 2 (UP state universities, NEP 2020 syllabus)
UPSC / UPPSC aspirants with Political Science as an optional
Learners who want to understand basic political concepts

What you need

Intermediate (10+2) pass in any stream

Questions

Which syllabus is followed?

The NEP 2020 common minimum syllabus of UP state universities. Where your university's syllabus differs, the centre follows your own university syllabus.

Is political theory difficult?

It is conceptual; the centre explains each concept with Indian examples and simple definitions to memorise.

Does this help in UGC-NET?

Yes, concepts of state, sovereignty, liberty, equality and justice are core NET topics.