Political theory and power

The concept of power is of central importance for political theory. But it is a
particularly elusive concept because it refers to a complex set of relationships
which are manifested at different levels of social life. This book analyzes the
concept of power in some important political theories of the contemporary
period. It draws attention to certain significant changes in the way in which
power has been defined and it also examines some of the critical responses
which those changes have evoked. The objective is not to try and evolve a
universally acceptable and comprehensive definition of power, and of related
terms like authority, and influence. The argument of the book is that, that
would be an impossible project since social and political theories themselves
constitute an intervention into political discourse of a society and they may,
implicitly or explicitly, embody a political perspective. The basic assumptions
about society embodied in a theory may be expressed through certain
ordering concepts and a particular mode of theorizing. Since political stances
and theoretical trends influence the way in which power is conceptualized, we
can only understand the significance and possible limitations of different
concepts of power by analyzing them with reference to the theories and
political perspective which generate them. It is hoped that such analysis would
provoke critical thinking about the concept of power and about the kind of
policy initiatives it may have helped to support