Nazarbekoba Z.M.

A. Baitursynov Kostanai State University, Kazakhstan

Main stages of formation of political science

The American scientist R. Dahl believed that from the logical point of view formation of political science took place three main stages: philosophical (standard and deductive approaches in interpretation of political life prevailed on it), empirical (at this stage the direct analysis of data turned into the main source of replenishment of knowledge and a dominating way of the analysis of political realities) and a stage of audit of empirical knowledge (a stage of critical reconsideration of sources of development of the theory, caused a variety of methods of research).

The first forms of specialized (protoscientific) display and judgment of the world of politics were created 2,5 thousand years ago and existed mainly in a religious and mythological form. Their basis was made by ideas about a divine origin and the power organization. Later, approximately in the middle of the I millennium, the tendency to bigger rationalization of political representations, to the emergence of the separate systematized doctrines was found. So, in civilizations of the Ancient East ideas about the device of the certain states, a people management skill dominated. For example, Confucius (551–479 B.C.) developed the doctrine about "humane management"; in it the state was treated as means of transformation of the ideal family relations and planting in such a way in the society of justice, love to people, gratitude to seniors. The most prominent representatives of Ancient Greek thought Plato (427 - 347 B.C.) and Aristotle (384–322 B.C.) as the main object of knowledge considered the concrete states, forms of domination of certain governors, the most distinct manifestations of the public power. They tried more completely and systematically to imagine the politics world. So, Aristotle, developing ideas of the ideal state and politics as to the highest form of social communication, considered a political form of existence in correlation with bases of human life as a whole.

Such ideas were based on a practical identification of politics and the state, not dismembered perception of the state and society, assuming integration of the organization of human life and the public power. It left theoretical treatments of politics in line with philosophy and even partially natural science. However increase of the rational description of the becoming complicated political phenomena led in the XIII century to creation on the basis of scholasticism already specific political science, called that "arspolitica" that means "political art" (Albertus Magnus), "scientiapolitica" – "political science" (Aquinas), "doctrinapolitica" – "the political doctrine" (L. Quirini) and even "sanctissimacivilisscientia" – "divine civil science" (S. Brent). Despite rather idealistic treatment of politics, it symbolized radical turn towards formation of specialized knowledge of this area of life. And this set of the representations became also an indispensable component of arts education of that time.

The New time (the XVI-XIX centuries), begun the second stage of development of political science, significantly changed both forms, and rates of formation of the political theory. The complication of the political sphere, which was gradually revealing dependence of the government from area of private human life, promoted its understanding as certain social sphere with the specific bases and mechanisms. The Italian thinker N. Machiavelli as the first made this break, having divided ideas of politics and society. Having entered into a scientific lexicon the term stato, he treated it not as display of the concrete state, and as in a special way organized form of the power. In the spirit of such approach J. Bodin raised a question of development of the methodical bases of special political science. The enormous contribution to development of this branch of knowledge was made by T. Gobbs, J. Lock, J.J. Rousseau, Ch. Montesquieu, D. Mill, J. Bentham, A. Tocqueville, K. Marx and some other outstanding thinkers developing ideas of rationalism, freedom, equality of citizens.

At the end of the XIX – at the beginning of the XX century there was a set of the specialized theories devoted to research of democracy, systems of political representation of interests, elite, parties, informal, psychological processes. This era named A. Bentley, G. Mosca, V. Pareto, R. Michels, M. Webber, W. Wilson, C. Merriam and other outstanding theorists. Certainly, in the different countries development of scientific knowledge of politics went unevenly. However, in Russia B.N. Tchitcherin, P.A. Novgorodtsev, A.I. Strogin, M.M. Kowalewski, M.Ya. Ostrogorsky, G.V. Plekhanov and other scientists' works were a worthy contribution to the process of formation of political science.

The powerful theoretical development at a turn of the centuries led to a constitutionalization of political science as independent discipline in educational institutions of the USA (1857), and subsequently in Germany and France. In 1903 the first American association of the political sciences, which has united in the ranks of scientists, professionally investigating the politics sphere, was created. All this is allowed to speak about formation of political science as the special branch of the knowledge, which has taken the place in structure of humanitaristry.

The stage of development of political science, modern, proceeding and until now, begins with the first quarter of the XX century. Now its development goes on the basis of more and more becoming complicated political connections, further politicization of social life as a whole, against development of all social science promoting continuous enrichment of methods of political researches. Steady complication of the social world led some theorists to an idea that the political theory of the present has to focus attention to society fragmentation. The world became even more politized, and the number of the subdisciplines studying the political sides, began to grow steadily, showing an enormous variety of specialized researches, methods and receptions of the analysis of politics. The expansion of the areas, which are exposed to specialized and systematic researches, led H. Lasswell in 1951 to thought of the need of introduction of the term "political science" (political science).

The main contribution to development of modern political science was made by the western theorists T. Parsons, D. Easton, R. Dahrendorf, M. Duverger, R. Dahl, B. Moore, A. Dawn, Ch. Lindblom, H. Almond, S. Verba, E. Campbell, etc. Modern political science is the most authoritative academic discipline; the corresponding courses are given at all a little, large universities of the world. In the world the International political scientists association (IPSA) works, scientific conferences, symposiums are systematically held.