Interest in policy and political affairs has long history and goes back to exercises of great thinkers of antiquity. The best minds of mankind thought of problems of the power, state and role of a human factor in management of society. The political science developed together with ideas of the person of the world around.
Emergence of political science
The first mentions of policy contain in works of the greatest thinkers of antiquity – Platon, Aristotle, Socrates, Democritus and Confucius. At the time of antiquity the understanding of policy often came down to ability to defend the views on public, to oratorical skill and practice of legislative activity within the states policies.
Different statesmen in own way treated the questions relating to political life. Usually they were concerned by the structure of the state, the principles of management of society, forms and methods of implementation of the power of the upper class over the lowest. Political affairs were an integral part of life of society and quite often took the form of discussions and philosophical reflections of ideal social system.
Formation of political science
At the time of the Middle Ages theological views on problems of political system dominated. Thomas Aquinas from whose pen compositions on divine origin of the power issued was one of spokesmen of these views. The similar ideas reflected the aspiration of ruling circles to affirm the right for the power and carrying out policy necessary to them. Political activity was entirely given in a charge of the propertied classes, and the power was consecrated with a name of God. Only in Renaissance the political science began to be exempted from former mystical and religious outlook. One of prominent thinkers of that time, Niccolo Machiavelli, made attempt to look at policy as the science based on experience. The political science began to apply for the special post in the system of knowledge and views of society and the state, she received own methods of knowledge which, however, were far from perfect.
Political science of Modern times
Subsequently questions of political system became central in Hobbes, Locke, Russo and Montesquieu's exercises. These and other thinkers expressed the ideas about existence of the natural right following from the public contract on distribution of political roles in society. At the same time there was a concept of division of the authorities. Essentially new step in development of political science was taken by founders of the Marxist doctrine. Marx's concept is based on domination of material bases of society which define development of a political superstructure. Marxists developed the idea about the class nature of society and were convinced that during political struggle the power has to pass to the most advanced class of that time – the proletariat.
Political science and present
The current shape of the political science which became independent science was defined at the end of the 19th century. Bases of political knowledge at that time already began to teach in prestigious educational institutions of the United States of America. Subsequently in the same place the Association of political sciences was created. The academic discipline in the true sense of the word the political science became at the beginning of the last century. And the most actively political knowledge began to develop after World War II when the predominating value of policy in life of modern society became clear. Today political researches on various directions are conducted at many universities and the research centers worldwide.