Political Science and Anthropology: The Prospect for a Complete Understanding of Western Political Thought

In: The Journal of social, political and economic studies, Band 7, Heft 1-2, S. 177-181

Abstract

Two integrative approaches to the study of Western political theory are briefly described. The first, deriving from comparative philology & historical anthropology, is commended for providing an overview of political philosophy in the Indo-European cultures; the importance of treaties on statecraft in this tradition is underscored. The second perspective focuses on the cultural & anthropological bases of Western political writings; a comparative mythology comprising both substantive & conceptual aspects of these writings is advanced to explain both the coherence & internal differentiation of this tradition. Applications of a genetic model in the second approach are also considered. L. Whittemore.