POLITICAL SCIENCE Course of lectures Module

POLITICAL SCIENCE Course of lectures

Module # 1 The genesis of political thought and the emergence of political science

Lecture # 1. The object and function of Political Science Field of study of political science is the sphere of political life The term "political science" is formed from two Greek words: “politica” - government, public affairs and “logos” – knowledge, teachings

Political Science Political science studies politics as an independent social discipline Political science reveals (раскрывать) the meaning and content of the policy Political science is studying the whole area of political relations, structure and functioning of government

The nature of PS: The nature of any science is defined by its object the area of activity of the subject and the subject of cognitive (познавательная) activity In a broad sense, the subject of PS is the whole world of politics - a special sphere of human activity In the narrow sense PS regularities of formation and development of political power, the forms and methods of its operation in the state and society

The subjects of policy: Identity Classes Social groups Political institutions Ethnic groups Religious and demographic groups, etc. *All of them have their own political interests

The objects of the policy: Political relations Political system and its institutions Social groups and individuals included in the political process * Subjects and objects of the policy are interchangeable and interdependent concepts

The subject of Political Science • The third studies: -political institutions - political processes - political behavior, etc. * All these components of Political Science are mainly interested in their present state.

Political Science finds: Structure Component parts Functions Relationship Interaction of political system

Political Science’s functions: Ideological (Political Science creates and also expresses the views, ideals of certain classes and social groups)

Political Science’s functions: Methodological (Methodological function of PS is to develop theory and methodology of the study of political phenomena and processes, development of laws and categories of the science)

Political Science’s functions: Epistemological (гносеологическая) (Epistemology – теория познания) Epistemology is a philosophical science or discipline in which investigates the possibility of man's knowledge of the world and himself from ignorance to knowledge, the nature of knowledge and in relation to the knowable objects)

Political Science’s functions: Regulatory (pегулятивная) (The regulatory function of PS is manifested in the fact that it helps to regulate the political process, political relations and management of them)

Political Science’s functions: Predictive (прогностическая) (Predictive function of PS involves determining the immediate and distant prospects of the political development of the society, the production forecasts, modeling future of political processes and relationships)

Political Science’s functions: Information (Information function of PS obtains information about the nature of political power and its formation, politics and the political system, the subject of politics, political institutions, etc. )

Goals of PS: ensuring the integrity and stability of a social community; implementation of all relevant social need and claims; mobilization and efficiency of public activity; management and regulation of certain social community;

Goals of PS: rationalization the conflicts, contradictions and alerts, civilized settles them; presentation individual and group interests; ensuring the experiences and skills in socially useful activities