Historical Approach

Historical approach denote the process of arriving at the laws governing politics

through an analysis of historical events, as exemplified by the theories propounded by

Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Hegel and Karl Marx. It also stands for an attempt at

understanding political process through a historical account of political thought of yester

years. The best example for historical approach in political science is George H. Sabine’s

‘A History of Political Theory’. Leading examples of the questions raised by political

philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Jeremy

Bentham, J.S. Mill, Hegel or Marx are what ideals are sought to be realized through the

state; what is the meaning of freedom and equality; what are the grounds and limits of

political obligation etc. Karl Popper has described this approach as ‘historicism’. Popper

has criticized historicism – especially Marxism – because it insists on discovering what is

inevitable, and then advocates ‘totalitarian’ methods for its realization. Further critics of

historical approach point out that it is not possible to understand ideas of the past ages in

terms of the contemporary ideas and concepts. Moreover, ideas of the past are hardly any

guide for resolving the crises of the present day world which are beyond comprehension of

the past thinkers. This criticism to historical approach encouraged the development of the

Behavioural Approach. However, the recent revival of interest in the rich heritage of

political thought for evolving guiding principles for our own age emphasizes the importance

of historical approach in political science.