The objective of Political Theory has always been to solve problems – problems to do with freedom and justice, with the relation between the individual and the state, with democracy and the rule of law as well as issues about war and peace. These issues have occupied the minds of Political Theorists for more than 2000 years, with the answers given by thinkers such as Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau still highly relevant to this day. Yet, this is not to say that Political Theory is confined to the History of Ideas – rather, Political Theory has never stopped seeking solutions to pressing problems. The nature of these problems as well as the scientific means of dealing with them have evolved over time and continue to open up new challenges and avenues of research for Political Theory.
Bamberg's Political Theory Programme
The key feature of Bamberg's theory programme is to link closely the study of political ideas with contemporary analyses of society and the utilisation of modern instruments in theory formation, such as action and decision theory, game theory and computer simulations. As such, Political Theory provides the metatheory for Political Science.
This is reflected both in our taught courses and research themes. Likewise, this approach ensures that the domain of Political Theory does not stand detached from other fields within Political Science offered in Bamberg, but on the contrary plays an integrating and encompassing role therein.