Political thought of the Ancient Greece and Rome

Many ideas of an initial stage of development of the western political science represent considerable interest, not only as expression of mentality and culture of an antique society, but also reflexion of evolution of political ideas which have found the theory form. During this period many assumptions which have made then fundamental максимы of the western political science, which steels have been stated by the maintenance of the western political culture. Development of political thought of the initial stage is characterised by a number of common features:

1) search of ideal model of the state, capable to provide justice and an order;

2) policy consideration as unique form of civilised life of the person, assuming нерасчлененность the states, a society and the separate individual;

3) absence of a clear boundary between philosophy, ethics and a policy that has defined moralising, instructive character of works on a political problematics;

The limited rationalism of political thought which has been caused by appreciable influence of religion.

Political knowledge in antiquity existed in the filosofsko-ethical form as all philosophers of the Ancient Greece to some extent concerned a political problematics. The most essential contribution to development of political thought have brought Platon (427-347 BC) the works "State" and "Laws", and also its pupil Aristotle the treatise of "Politician". From the Roman philosophers appreciable influence on development of political representations was rendered by works of visible public figure Tsitseron (106-43 BC) «About the state» and «About laws».

Political ideas of the Ancient Greece and Rome were generalisation of experience of functioning of such unique public form, as the antique policy (city-state). The policy represented special type public and a state system which leant against the economic and political sovereignty of a community

As best Tsitseron considered the mixed mode combining advantages of the imperial power (care of the monarch of citizens), aristocracy (wisdom of governors) and democracy (people freedom).

Interpretations of a policy in the Middle Ages and Renaissance

The Christian political doctrine

In the Middle Ages (V-XV centuries AD) the religious outlook the Christian church was which carrier dominated. She recognised that all real has arisen at will of God; changes in a society are caused by God to punish or remunerate people. In work «About hailstones Divine» thinker Srednevekovja Avgustin (354-430) has stated bases of the Christian political doctrine. Work has been written for the purpose of an explanation from positions of Christianity of historical event - captures of Rome готами in 410: the sacred city has fallen because Rome was hailstones of a devil. All history of mankind was represented to Avgustinu by struggle between «hailstones Divine» and «hailstones terrestrial». «The hailstones Divine», the higher which expression are Church, make, according to Avgustina, righteous persons and angels, «hailstones terrestrial» - sinners and devils. Unique rescue of the person - in familiarising with God, Christian virtue.

Other medieval thinker-seminary student Foma Akvinsky (1225-1274) believed that the government occurs from God and consequently should be subordinated the spiritual. This position has been connected with aspiration of medieval theologians to prove leadership of the spiritual (church) power over the secular. Despite the divine nature of the government, its acquisition and use, Foma Akvinsky considered, depends on people. Hence, the essence of the power is divine, but forms of its realisation are defined by people. Indignation of the people against the power of the monarch admitted a mortal sin as it was equivalent to performance against God. However the secular power should follow Christian precepts and not oppress the people. Otherwise Foma Akvinsky recognised as lawful overthrow of the tyrant.

Policy as applied science

It is considered the ancestor of a political science Nikkolo Makiavelli whom "Sovereign" in work (1513) and «Reflections about the first decade Tita Libya» (1520) has formulated a subject and a political science method. N.Makiavelli within fourteen years worked as the secretary of the government of the Florentine republic and observed

To the politician that is called, from within. Direct participation in political life has strengthened it in opinion that the political science is a science practical, serving to the decision of the vital problems. The contribution of Makiavelli to a political science consisted in the following.

First, it has proved independence of political sphere, its relative autonomy from other areas of life of a society (economy, culture etc.) as the policy has own logic which maintenance is defined by the political power. The power in all its displays also is a subject of a political science.

Secondly, Makiavelli studied a policy as a social reality, instead of the imagined, ideal world. It has transferred a policy from sphere imagined and wished in a plane objective and real. The political science, on Makiavelli, should comprehend a true state of affairs, directly observing of the facts: behaviour of political leaders, weights, their interaction. The method of political realism which has entered into political science of Makiavelli, has definitively released it from religion.

Thirdly, Makiavelli distinguished concepts "society" and "state". It considered the state as the political form of the organisation of a society. State forms tend to replace each other, reflecting thereby a society condition. Макиавелли has formulated the concept of cyclic development of the state forms in which basis the idea кругооборота, взаимообращения good and harm lies. Having allocated six forms of the state, it considered three of them as «bad in all relations» (tyranny, oligarchy and охлократия), and concerning three others wrote that they «are good in itself» (a monarchy, aristocracy, democracy). According to Makiavelli, having reached a perfection limit, the state form tends to decline, passing in the contrast. It occurs because the nature does not allow things to stay at rest. The monarchy is replaced by tyranny, tyranny - aristocracy, the aristocracy gives way to oligarchy, on change of last democracy which, in turn, outgrows in охлократию (the crowd power) comes.

As the best form of the state Makiavelli considered mixed the moderate republic combining advantages of a monarchy (the strong uniting beginning), aristocracy (wisdom and virtuous board) and democracies (freedom and participation of the people in management was which embodiment for it).

Fourthly, Makiavelli has separated a policy from morals (later the policy based on a cult of violence, immorality, named «макиавеллизмом»). The policy, in its opinion, should not osno -

вываться on moral principles, should start with expediency, correspond to experience, practice, a concrete situation. The policy is subordinated to achievement of definite purposes which are put by participants of political interactions. The purpose choice depends on circumstances, instead of from morals. Therefore the purpose follows сообразовывать with means, and means - with circumstances and results. Hence, the relativity principle, on Makiavelli, solves a problem of a parity of the purposes and means in the politician. «A sovereign, - marked the thinker, - if he wishes to keep in obedience of citizens, should not reckon with charges in cruelty. Having made some punishments, it will show more mercies that those who on its surplus indulges a disorder. For from a disorder which generates robberies and murders, all population whereas from the penalties imposed by a sovereign, separate persons» suffer only suffers.