Aristotle had called political science the master science. This is a lasting truism. All different disciplines help humankind in myriad ways in their lives; it is political science which shapes their lives. The civilizational advance of humankind is basically a work of political philosophical or theoretical formulations.
There is no science in politics but the nomenclature of the discipline studying politics as political science appeals to the concerned citizens of intellect to apply science in its studies. Finding patterns in social processes and scoping the same for human intervention for the collective good is making a science of politics. This is how humanity has moved away from the miserable state of being under the dictate of elements.
However, applying science is not about sheer voluntarism or willpower, which requires some motivation. Any person and collective have to confront dogmas first and secondly, even more challenging than the first is that the entity has to steer clear of pseudosciences. The challenges are, however, not only mental: a powerful class of clergy espouse and enforce a dogma so the armed and brainwashed vanguards ramrod a pseudoscientific idea.
Our traditions for long sustained a science of politics which Chanakya's Arthasastra epitomised. However, many would not be comfortable with this statement of fact as they see the treatise as a rule book or a manual of statecraft. They should know that it may look as one wishes but the fact is that it is the skimmed wisdom from the vast pool of knowledge drawn from observations, experiences and contemplations of ages.
We need to reinvent the Arthastastra for our times.
Niraj Kumar Jha
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