One may feel that one is working through common sense or raw intelligence, but in reality, one is only working with theories already diffused as common sense. If a nation ignores serious research that yields grounded, practical theories, or does not nurture spaces for people to philosophise in a similar vein, it will not solve its problems; rather, it will further complicate them by adopting foreign-baked theories. This is not an argument against the universality of theory as such, but against its uncritical transplantation without mediation through local histories, institutions, and social experience.
A large chunk of so-recognised political theorists is still busy figuring out what political theory is. At a second level, they learn some high-sounding names and jargon and keep regurgitating them in front of people. Initiates are awestruck by the sheer incomprehensibility of what they hear. Thirdly, what is discussed and understood often resembles filmy drama: a social or status-group conspiracy followed by its surgical solution. Fourthly, some highly regarded theories are merely descriptive, and they describe reality in a manner that kills the possibility of solutions. They turn the persistence of problems into a mission, much like typical missionaries. Fifthly, and finally, within the limits of my own understanding, they often exhaust their careers in comprehending theories of Western origin, endlessly elaborating upon them, and pursuing adaptations that are never fully realisable.
To conclude, societies need genuine theories.
Niraj Kumar Jha
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