Key Political Thinkers and Their Thoughts (PG Level)
I. Classical Thinkers
1. Plato – Classical Idealism - Work: The Republic - Advocated the Ideal State governed by Philosopher
Kings. - Justice is harmony when each class performs its natural role. - Concept of Forms/Ideas—absolute
and unchanging truth.
2. Aristotle – Empirical Realism - Work: Politics - Politics is the science of the good life. - Classified
governments into good (monarchy, aristocracy, polity) and bad (tyranny, oligarchy, democracy). - Advocated
for the Golden Mean and empirical constitutional studies.
3. Niccolò Machiavelli – Political Realism - Work: The Prince - Separated politics from ethics. - Power
politics and "the end justifies the means." - Raison d'état: The state's interest is supreme.
II. Social Contract Thinkers
4. Thomas Hobbes – Absolutism and Order - Work: Leviathan - Human nature is selfish; state of nature is
anarchic. - Advocated absolute sovereignty for peace and order.
5. John Locke – Liberalism and Natural Rights - Work: Two Treatises of Government - Natural rights: life,
liberty, property. - Advocated limited government and right to revolt.
6. Jean-Jacques Rousseau – General Will and Democracy - Work: The Social Contract - Man is naturally
good; society corrupts. - Advocated direct democracy and sovereignty of the general will.
III. Liberal Thinkers
7. John Stuart Mill – Liberty and Utilitarianism - Works: On Liberty; Considerations on Representative
Government - Advocated liberty, free speech, and the harm principle. - Supported representative democracy
and minority rights.
8. John Rawls – Justice as Fairness - Work: A Theory of Justice - Original Position and Veil of Ignorance
concepts. - Advocated distributive justice and fairness in institutions.
9. Robert Dahl – Pluralism and Polyarchy - Works: Who Governs?; Democracy and Its Critics - Power is
distributed among groups in a democracy. - Coined the term Polyarchy for pluralist democracies.
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IV. Marxist and Neo-Marxist Thinkers
10. Karl Marx – Historical Materialism - Works: The Communist Manifesto; Das Kapital - Class struggle
drives history. - Advocated abolition of private property and classless society.
11. Antonio Gramsci – Cultural Hegemony - Work: Prison Notebooks - Cultural hegemony maintains ruling
class dominance. - Civil society is key to political change.
V. Contemporary Political Thinkers
12. Michel Foucault – Power/Knowledge & Discourse - Works: Discipline and Punish; The History of
Sexuality - Power is pervasive and linked to knowledge. - Concepts of biopolitics and discourse analysis.
13. Chantal Mouffe – Agonistic Democracy - Work: The Democratic Paradox - Democracy is a space for
conflict and contestation. - Advocated agonistic pluralism.
14. Hannah Arendt – Totalitarianism and Action - Works: The Origins of Totalitarianism; The Human
Condition - Analyzed totalitarian regimes. - Emphasized political action and citizenship.
VI. Indian Political Thinkers
15. Amartya Sen – Capabilities and Justice - Work: Development as Freedom - Development enhances
capabilities. - Freedom is both a means and an end.
16. Rajni Kothari – Indian Democracy and Political Development - Work: Politics in India - Concept of the
Congress System in India. - Analyzed the interaction between state, society, and politics.
Conclusion: These thinkers form the bedrock of modern political theory and practice. Their diverse
ideologies—from classical realism to liberal democracy, Marxism, post-structuralism, and Indian political
analysis—offer deep insights into the functioning of political systems, governance, and the nature of power.
Prepared for PG Level Political Science Study
