Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Definition of Politics
Definition of Politics (Source, www.websters-dictionaryonline.com/definition/politics)
Politics is the study of decision making power (who has got it and who hasn't) from intersocial and societal level). When considered at smaller scales e.g, within a profession it is indistinguishable from applied ethics or specialist ethical codes.
At whatever scale politics is rather imperfect way that we actually do coordinate individual actions for mutual or (strictly personal gain). What distinguishes politics from ethical or merely social is a much debated question. Most theorist would acknowledge that to be political a process has to involve atleast use of some potential force or -politics is about conflict that is much more than theory and fashion. To win a political conflict always implies that one has taken power from one group of power to give it to another. Most would also acknowledge that political conflict can degrade to zero-sum games with little earned or settled by conflict other than, " who won and who lost".
Lenin said that politics was ,"who could do what to whom". As political scientist Harold Lasswell said," who gets what, when and how". It also concerns how we resolves moral conflicts that are sufficiently serious that they constitute the risk of social disruption- in which case committment to common process of arbitration or diplomacy tends to reduce violence- usually viewed as key goal of civilization. Bernard Key is the major theorist of this view and also of the idea that politics is itself simply," ethics done in public", where public institutions can agree, disagree, or intervene to achieve a desirable culmination or comprehensive result.
In addition to Government, journalist, religious groups, special interest gropus and economic system and condition may all have influence on decisions. Therefore, politics touches on all these subjects.
Authors of studies of politics have both reflected and influenced the political system of the world. Machiavalli wrote The Prince, an analysis of politics, in a amonarchy in, 1513, while living in a monarchy. Karl Marx and Fredrich Engel wrote, Communist Menifesto in 1848 which became one of the most influential work of twentieth Century.
Personally, I subscribe to Bernard Key's theory about politics, a view which subscribes to the process of fair decision making which aids in reducing/eliminating conflict, violence and hurt.