“Post-behaviouralism is future-oriented, seeking to propel political science in new directions, and to add rather than to deny its past heritage. It is a genuine revolution, not reaction; a becoming, not a preservation; a reform not a counter-reformation.” (David Easton) Comment. (20 Marks)
Behaviouralism dominated in the study of political Science for a decade. However, the behviouralists drifted away from the path they had chosen for themselves. They got absorbed in finding out new techniques and methods for its study. In the process they lost the real subject matter. They got divided into two groups – the Theoretical behaviouralists and the positive behviouralists. While the former laid emphasis purely on theory building, the latter concerned themselves with finding out new methods for the study of political phenomena. Consequently, certain behaviouralists got disillusioned with behaviouralism towards the close of sixties. The main attack upon behaviouralism came from David Easton who was one of the leading behaviouralists. According to him, there is a “post – behavioural revolution” underway which is born out of deep dissatisfaction with the attempt to covert political study into a discipline modeled on the methodology of the natural sciences. In their efforts at research and application of scientific method, the behaviouraists had gone far away from the realities of social behavior. In this way, political science again lost touch with the current and contemporary issues.
David Easton, as such, speaks of the following as important features of post-behaviouralism:
- Importance to substance over technique: post-behaviouralists say, it may be good to have sophisticated tools of investigation, but the more important point is the purpose for which these tools are being applied. Unless scientific research is relevant and meaningful for contemporary social problems, it is not worth being undertaken.
- Emphasis on social change and not social preservation.
- Greater focus on Reality. Political science should address the needs of mankind by identifying the future social problems and by suggesting solutions to such problems.
- Recognition of the existing values: According to post-behaviouralists, unless values are regarded as the propelling force behind knowledge there is a danger that knowledge would lose purposes. If knowledge is to be used for right goals, values have to be restored to the central position. Human values need protection.
- It is Action-oriented: Knowledge must be put to work. “To know”, as Easton points out “is to bear the responsibility for acting, and to act is to engage in restoring society”. The post-behaviouralists as such, ask for action-science in place of contemplative-science.
According to post-behaviouralists, once it is recognized that the intellectuals have a positive role to play in society, and that this role is to try to determine proper goals for society and make society move in the direction of these goals, it becomes inevitable to politicize the profession-all professional associations as well as universities thus become not only inseparable but highly desirable.
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