Tag: UGC NET Political Science Notes

UGC NET Political Science – Unit 3: Indian Political Thought- MCQs

75 Topic-wise MCQs with Answers & Explanations

1. Dharamshastra Tradition

1. The central concept in Dharmashastra texts is:
A) Niti
B) Dharma
C) Karma
D) Artha
✅ Answer: B
📘 Dharma means moral duty — it governs both personal and political conduct.

2. According to Dharmashastra, the primary duty of the king is to:
A) Conquer territories
B) Accumulate wealth
C) Uphold Dharma and protect people
D) Promote trade
✅ Answer: C

3. In Dharmashastra, law is derived from:
A) Popular consent
B) Vedas and Smritis
C) King’s will
D) Military power
✅ Answer: B
📘 The Vedas and Smritis were sources of law and moral order.

4. The idea “even the ruler must obey Dharma” reflects:
A) Theocracy
B) Rule of Law
C) Divine Monarchy
D) Democracy
✅ Answer: B

5. Dharma in politics ensures:
A) Unlimited power
B) Moral restraint on authority
C) Religious dominance
D) Personal gain
✅ Answer: B

🦅 2. Kautilya (Chanakya)

6. Kautilya’s Arthashastra mainly deals with:
A) Spiritual liberation
B) Economic planning
C) Statecraft and administration
D) Religious duties
✅ Answer: C

7. According to Kautilya, the seven elements of the state are called:
A) Navaratnas
B) Saptanga
C) Panchsheel
D) Trivarga
✅ Answer: B

8. “Matsyanyaya” means:
A) Justice of the fish
B) Law of the jungle
C) Rule of Dharma
D) Moral politics
✅ Answer: B
📘 Without state power, the strong devour the weak — hence, the need for authority.

9. Kautilya’s approach to politics is:
A) Idealist
B) Realist and pragmatic
C) Religious
D) Socialist
✅ Answer: B

10. According to Kautilya, the ruler’s happiness lies in:
A) Wealth
B) His subjects’ happiness
C) Expansion of empire
D) Self-interest
✅ Answer: B

🪶 3. Agganna Sutta (Buddhist Political Thought)

11. The Agganna Sutta explains:
A) Origin of the Vedas
B) Origin of the state
C) Origin of war
D) Origin of religion
✅ Answer: B

12. According to Agganna Sutta, the state arises through:
A) Divine creation
B) Social contract
C) Violence
D) Heredity
✅ Answer: B

13. The moral law in Buddhism is called:
A) Dhamma
B) Karma
C) Niti
D) Nyaya
✅ Answer: A

14. The ideal Buddhist ruler is called:
A) Kshatriya
B) Chakravartin
C) Samrat
D) Raja
✅ Answer: B

15. Buddhist political thought promotes:
A) Material prosperity
B) Moral leadership and equality
C) Caste hierarchy
D) Militarism
✅ Answer: B

🕌 4. Ziauddin Barani

16. Barani’s Fatwa-i-Jahandari is about:
A) Islamic theology
B) Principles of state and governance
C) Economics
D) Art and culture
✅ Answer: B

17. Barani believed the king should rule according to:
A) His will
B) People’s consent
C) Sharia and justice
D) Aristocracy
✅ Answer: C

18. Barani divided society into:
A) Ashraf and Ajlaf
B) Brahmins and Shudras
C) Rulers and ruled
D) Rich and poor
✅ Answer: A

19. Barani’s ideal ruler is guided by:
A) Sharia (divine law)
B) Economic motives
C) Military power
D) Personal ambition
✅ Answer: A

20. Barani’s political theory is a blend of:
A) Realism and ethics
B) Islam and democracy
C) Marxism and faith
D) Capitalism and religion
✅ Answer: A

🌺 5. Kabir

21. Kabir emphasized:
A) Rituals and caste
B) Love and unity of God
C) Religious orthodoxy
D) Idol worship
✅ Answer: B

22. Kabir’s philosophy is rooted in:
A) Rationalism
B) Bhakti and Sufi traditions
C) Feudalism
D) Liberalism
✅ Answer: B

23. Kabir rejected:
A) God
B) Social equality
C) Caste system and ritualism
D) Humanism
✅ Answer: C

24. Kabir’s political thought promotes:
A) Religious harmony and equality
B) Sectarianism
C) Violence
D) Authoritarianism
✅ Answer: A

25. Kabir’s teachings influenced:
A) Marxism
B) Sikhism and Indian humanism
C) Islamism
D) Western liberalism
✅ Answer: B

👩‍🏫 6. Pandita Ramabai

26. Pandita Ramabai is known for:
A) Economic reforms
B) Women’s education and rights
C) Political revolution
D) Religious orthodoxy
✅ Answer: B

27. Her key demand was:
A) Right to vote
B) Access to education for women
C) Abolition of marriage
D) Secularism
✅ Answer: B

28. She criticized:
A) Colonial government
B) Patriarchal interpretation of scriptures
C) Buddhism
D) Socialism
✅ Answer: B

29. Pandita Ramabai’s thought represents:
A) Liberal feminism in India
B) Socialism
C) Conservatism
D) Marxism
✅ Answer: A

30. She was among the earliest:
A) Political leaders
B) Feminist reformers in India
C) Philosophers of realism
D) Economists
✅ Answer: B

🇮🇳 7. Bal Gangadhar Tilak

31. Tilak’s slogan was:
A) Jai Hind
B) Swaraj is my birthright
C) Quit India
D) Inquilab Zindabad
✅ Answer: B

32. Tilak represented:
A) Moderate nationalism
B) Militant nationalism
C) Social reform
D) Western liberalism
✅ Answer: B

33. Tilak used festivals like Ganesh Utsav for:
A) Religious revival
B) Political mobilization
C) Education
D) Trade promotion
✅ Answer: B

34. His idea of Swaraj means:
A) Individual freedom only
B) Self-rule and national independence
C) Economic liberalization
D) Administrative reform
✅ Answer: B

35. Tilak’s political philosophy combined:
A) Religion and politics for national awakening
B) Socialism
C) Western secularism
D) Marxism
✅ Answer: A

🕉️ 8. Swami Vivekananda

36. Vivekananda emphasized:
A) Material prosperity
B) Spiritual strength and service
C) Violence for freedom
D) State control
✅ Answer: B

37. His motto:
A) “Be rich and powerful”
B) “Service to man is service to God”
C) “Reform through revolt”
D) “Politics before religion”
✅ Answer: B

38. Vivekananda’s nationalism was based on:
A) Race
B) Religion
C) Spiritual and cultural unity
D) Language
✅ Answer: C

39. He believed education should:
A) Focus on exams
B) Build character and strength
C) Promote obedience
D) Create elites
✅ Answer: B

40. Vivekananda inspired:
A) Indian youth and freedom movement
B) Industrial revolution
C) Bureaucratic reforms
D) Colonial loyalty
✅ Answer: A

🕊️ 9. Rabindranath Tagore

41. Tagore opposed:
A) Freedom
B) Aggressive nationalism
C) Humanism
D) Education
✅ Answer: B

42. Tagore’s nationalism was:
A) Militaristic
B) Spiritual and universal
C) Regional
D) Authoritarian
✅ Answer: B

43. Tagore’s ideal society is based on:
A) Competition
B) Harmony and creativity
C) Discipline and order
D) Industrialization
✅ Answer: B

44. Tagore valued:
A) Scientific nationalism
B) Spiritual freedom
C) Economic growth
D) Bureaucracy
✅ Answer: B

45. He criticized:
A) Western materialism
B) Indian culture
C) Global unity
D) Literature
✅ Answer: A

✋ 10. M.K. Gandhi

46. Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence is known as:
A) Satyagraha
B) Ahimsa
C) Dharma
D) Danda
✅ Answer: B

47. Satyagraha means:
A) Force of truth
B) Force of arms
C) Force of fear
D) Political power
✅ Answer: A

48. Gandhi’s economic philosophy:
A) Capitalist
B) Trusteeship
C) Socialist
D) Industrialist
✅ Answer: B

49. Sarvodaya means:
A) Uplift of all
B) Rule of few
C) Economic prosperity only
D) Spiritual isolation
✅ Answer: A

50. Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj criticized:
A) Industrial civilization and Western modernity
B) Religion
C) Peasantry
D) Democracy
✅ Answer: A

🪔 11. Sri Aurobindo

51. Aurobindo saw nationalism as:
A) Material progress
B) Spiritual mission
C) Political instrument
D) Western idea
✅ Answer: B

52. His concept of Integral Yoga aims at:
A) Economic growth
B) Political unity
C) Human spiritual evolution
D) Rationalism
✅ Answer: C

53. Aurobindo’s goal was:
A) World peace through spiritual unity
B) Military strength
C) Industrial revolution
D) Cultural isolation
✅ Answer: A

54. Aurobindo believed India’s freedom would:
A) Lead global spiritual awakening
B) Isolate India
C) End religion
D) Promote capitalism
✅ Answer: A

55. He combined:
A) Politics and spiritualism
B) Marxism and atheism
C) Nationalism and capitalism
D) Education and economics
✅ Answer: A

⚖️ 12. Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

56. Periyar led the:
A) Quit India Movement
B) Self-Respect Movement
C) Non-Cooperation Movement
D) Swadeshi Movement
✅ Answer: B

57. He fought against:
A) Caste and superstition
B) Education
C) Industry
D) Parliament
✅ Answer: A

58. Periyar promoted:
A) Rationalism and equality
B) Monarchy
C) Priesthood
D) Nationalism only
✅ Answer: A

59. He advocated:
A) Women’s equality
B) Child marriage
C) Slavery
D) Idol worship
✅ Answer: A

60. His ideas laid the foundation of:
A) Dravidian movement
B) Industrial capitalism
C) Religious orthodoxy
D) Centralized power
✅ Answer: A

🌙 13. Muhammad Iqbal

61. Iqbal’s philosophy of Khudi means:
A) Self-denial
B) Self-realization
C) Collective identity only
D) Individualism
✅ Answer: B

62. Iqbal advocated:
A) Pan-Islamic unity and moral democracy
B) Communism
C) Atheism
D) Capitalism
✅ Answer: A

63. He is known as:
A) Poet of freedom
B) Spiritual father of Pakistan
C) Founder of Congress
D) Indian liberal
✅ Answer: B

64. Iqbal combined:
A) Islam and modernity
B) Religion and caste
C) Tradition and monarchy
D) Spiritualism and atheism
✅ Answer: A

65. Iqbal’s political ideal was:
A) Islamic democracy
B) Monarchy
C) Socialism
D) Secularism
✅ Answer: A

🔨 14. M.N. Roy

66. M.N. Roy began as a:
A) Liberal
B) Marxist revolutionary
C) Theist
D) Socialist democrat
✅ Answer: B

67. His later philosophy is known as:
A) Rational Humanism
B) Radical Humanism
C) Realism
D) Materialism
✅ Answer: B

68. Roy emphasized:
A) Human freedom and reason
B) Party dictatorship
C) Religion
D) Monarchy
✅ Answer: A

69. Roy rejected:
A) Democracy
B) Marxist determinism
C) Rationality
D) Secularism
✅ Answer: B

70. Roy believed man’s salvation lies in:
A) Faith
B) Reason and ethical living
C) Rituals
D) Revolution
✅ Answer: B

🔱 15. V.D. Savarkar

71. Savarkar’s ideology is known as:
A) Liberalism
B) Hindutva
C) Communism
D) Federalism
✅ Answer: B

72. His book Hindutva defined:
A) Political citizenship
B) Cultural nationalism based on common civilization
C) Religious supremacy
D) Democracy
✅ Answer: B

73. Savarkar supported:
A) Violent revolution against colonialism
B) Passive resistance
C) Communal harmony
D) Pacifism
✅ Answer: A

74. He also advocated:
A) Gender equality and social reform
B) Feudalism
C) Isolation
D) Monarchy
✅ Answer: A

75. Savarkar’s nationalism was rooted in:
A) Religion
B) Culture and common heritage
C) Language
D) Region
✅ Answer: B

⚖️ Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (1891–1956)

76. Dr. Ambedkar’s political philosophy centered on:
A) Caste system
B) Social justice and equality
C) Revolution
D) Capitalism
✅ Answer: B
📘 He aimed to build a society based on liberty, equality, and fraternity.

77. The book Annihilation of Caste was written by:
A) Gandhi
B) Nehru
C) Ambedkar
D) Lohia
✅ Answer: C
📘 A scathing critique of Hindu caste hierarchy and Brahminism.

78. Ambedkar defined democracy as:
A) A political arrangement
B) A way of life based on social ethics
C) Majority rule
D) Dictatorship of numbers
✅ Answer: B
📘 For Ambedkar, democracy meant a moral and social ideal, not just a political form.

79. Ambedkar’s idea of fraternity came from:
A) Marx
B) Buddha
C) Rousseau
D) Tilak
✅ Answer: B
📘 He drew from Buddhism, emphasizing compassion and equality.

80. Ambedkar’s ideal society was:
A) Hierarchical
B) Caste-based
C) Casteless and equal
D) Religious
✅ Answer: C
📘 His lifelong goal was social transformation through equality and education.

81. Which of the following was central to Ambedkar’s philosophy of justice?
A) Equality before God
B) Social and economic equality
C) Economic liberty only
D) Religious morality
✅ Answer: B

82. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism in:
A) 1947
B) 1950
C) 1956
D) 1952
✅ Answer: C
📘 A symbolic act of liberation for Dalits — the Navayana (New Buddhism).

83. Ambedkar viewed the Indian Constitution as a tool for:
A) Maintaining status quo
B) Social revolution and reform
C) Strengthening caste
D) Centralized rule
✅ Answer: B

🇮🇳 Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964)

84. Nehru’s concept of socialism aimed at:
A) Classless society through revolution
B) Democratic planning and industrial growth
C) Peasant revolution
D) Military socialism
✅ Answer: B
📘 He advocated democratic socialism, combining democracy with planned development.

85. Nehru’s idea of secularism meant:
A) Atheism
B) Equal respect for all religions
C) Religious uniformity
D) Westernization
✅ Answer: B
📘 Nehru’s secularism was inclusive and pluralist, not anti-religious.

86. Nehru’s Discovery of India promotes:
A) Cultural nationalism
B) Scientific humanism and unity in diversity
C) Western modernity
D) Theocracy
✅ Answer: B

87. Nehru’s concept of Non-Alignment was:
A) Isolation from world affairs
B) Strategic independence in foreign policy
C) Alliance with the West
D) Military neutrality
✅ Answer: B
📘 Aimed at independent judgment in global politics during the Cold War.

88. Nehru’s “Scientific Temper” means:
A) Faith in technology only
B) Rational, questioning attitude in life and governance
C) Western materialism
D) Academic curiosity
✅ Answer: B

89. Nehru viewed democracy as:
A) Political mechanism
B) A way of life and social ethos
C) Temporary arrangement
D) Party rule
✅ Answer: B

90. Nehru’s socialism was distinct from Marxism because it:
A) Rejected democracy
B) Emphasized gradual reform and planning
C) Advocated dictatorship
D) Denied religion
✅ Answer: B

🟣 Ram Manohar Lohia (1910–1967)

91. Lohia’s political ideology combined:
A) Marxism and Hinduism
B) Socialism and Gandhian thought
C) Liberalism and conservatism
D) Militarism and monarchy
✅ Answer: B

92. Lohia’s Sapt Kranti (Seven Revolutions) included revolts against:
A) Colonialism, caste, gender inequality, and capitalism
B) Foreign policy only
C) Industrialization
D) Rationalism
✅ Answer: A

93. Lohia’s Four-Pillar State proposed:
A) Decentralized power among village, district, province, and centre
B) Strong central authority
C) Corporate control
D) Monarchical rule
✅ Answer: A
📘 Early model of grassroots democracy.

94. Lohia emphasized socialism that is:
A) European in style
B) Indian in context and practice
C) Religious
D) Marxist
✅ Answer: B

95. For Lohia, equality required:
A) Caste revolution and gender justice
B) Economic growth only
C) Religious unity
D) Political uniformity
✅ Answer: A

🟢 Jayaprakash Narayan (1902–1979)

96. Jayaprakash Narayan’s Total Revolution means:
A) Economic reform only
B) Comprehensive transformation of society
C) Violent revolution
D) Bureaucratic reform
✅ Answer: B
📘 Sampoorna Kranti includes political, social, economic, and moral change.

97. JP’s movement in the 1970s aimed at:
A) Military rule
B) Restoring democracy and moral politics
C) Centralization of power
D) Religious unity
✅ Answer: B

98. JP was influenced by:
A) Marx and Lenin
B) Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave
C) Savarkar and Tilak
D) Periyar
✅ Answer: B

99. JP emphasized:
A) Centralized administration
B) Decentralized, people-based governance
C) Authoritarian leadership
D) Military intervention
✅ Answer: B

100. The core of JP’s political philosophy is:
A) Party politics
B) People’s power and participatory democracy
C) Bureaucratic efficiency
D) Religious nationalism
✅ Answer: B

🟠 Deendayal Upadhyaya (1916–1968)

101. Deendayal Upadhyaya’s philosophy is known as:
A) Integral Humanism
B) Democratic Socialism
C) Rational Humanism
D) Idealism
✅ Answer: A

102. Integral Humanism aims to integrate:
A) Body, mind, intellect, and soul
B) Religion and state
C) Capitalism and socialism
D) Individual and state
✅ Answer: A
📘 Harmonizing material and spiritual dimensions of human life.

103. According to Upadhyaya, Indian development should be:
A) Westernized
B) Rooted in Bharatiya culture and self-reliance
C) Militarized
D) Capitalist
✅ Answer: B

104. Upadhyaya emphasized:
A) Centralization
B) Decentralized village-based economy
C) Bureaucratic planning
D) State monopoly
✅ Answer: B

105. For Deendayal Upadhyaya, the ideal political order is based on:
A) Dharma and human unity
B) Secularism
C) Market forces
D) Monarchy
✅ Answer: A

106. Integral Humanism opposes:
A) Both capitalism and communism
B) Nationalism
C) Religion
D) Family values
✅ Answer: A
📘 Because both neglect spiritual and ethical dimensions.

107. Upadhyaya’s political vision inspired:
A) BJP’s ideology
B) Communist Party of India
C) Congress Socialism
D) Dravidian politics
✅ Answer: A

108. His core principle of development was:
A) Human-centric and ethical
B) Profit-centric
C) Industrialist
D) Westernized
✅ Answer: A

109. Upadhyaya’s philosophy is distinct for integrating:
A) Spiritual and material well-being
B) Economy and politics only
C) Religion and science
D) East and West
✅ Answer: A

110. According to Upadhyaya, democracy succeeds only if:
A) It is rooted in Indian values and moral culture
B) People are educated in Western ideas
C) Bureaucracy dominates
D) It is secularized completely
✅ Answer: A

November 4, 2025

UGC NET Political Science – Unit 3: Indian Political Thought

Introduction

Indian political thought reflects the spiritual, moral, and social dimensions of politics.
Unlike Western political thought (which focuses on power, liberty, and state), Indian thought emphasizes dharma (moral duty), justice, harmony, and collective welfare.

Indian thinkers — from ancient seers to modern reformers — discussed how ethical life, self-rule, equality, and justice can lead to both personal and political liberation.

ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL INDIAN POLITICAL THOUGHT

1. Dharamshastra Tradition

🔹 Context:

Found in texts like Manusmriti, Yajnavalkya Smriti, and other Dharmasutras.
Represents ancient Hindu socio-political philosophy.

🔹 Key Ideas:

Dharma (Moral Order):
Foundation of law, politics, and society; maintains harmony.
King as Upholder of Dharma:
King’s duty is to protect people, ensure justice, and punish wrongdoers.
Rule of Law:
Even the ruler must follow dharma.
Varna & Ashrama System:
Division of duties, not inequality in moral worth.

🔹 Relevance:

The idea of moral limits on political power.
Emphasis on ethical governance and justice.

2. Kautilya (Chanakya) – 4th Century BCE

🔹 Major Work: Arthashastra

🔹 Key Ideas:

Statecraft and Realism:
Politics as art of governance — pragmatic, not moralistic.
Saptanga Theory (Seven Elements of State):
King, Minister, Territory, Fort, Treasury, Army, and Allies.
Matsyanyaya (Law of Fish):
In anarchy, the strong devour the weak — hence the need for a strong ruler.
Dandaniti (Science of Punishment):
Law and discipline are central to order.
Welfare of People (Yogakshema):
The king’s happiness lies in the happiness of subjects.

🔹 Relevance:

India’s first realist thinker, comparable to Machiavelli.
Combined realpolitik with welfare — “pragmatism with purpose.”

3. Agganna Sutta (Buddhist Political Thought)

🔹 Source: Digha Nikaya (Buddhist canon)

🔹 Key Ideas:

Origin of the State:
The state emerged through social contract among people to stop chaos.
Concept of Dhamma:
Moral order above rulers and ruled.
Egalitarianism:
Rejects hereditary caste hierarchy — all humans equal.
Ideal Ruler – Chakravartin:
Rules by righteousness, not force.

🔹 Relevance:

Early democratic and moral model of political authority.
Close to modern social contract theory.

4. Ziauddin Barani (14th Century)

🔹 Work: Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi, Fatwa-i-Jahandari

🔹 Key Ideas:

Theory of Kingship:
The king is God’s representative; must rule with justice and religion.
Ethical Monarchy:
Ruler should uphold Sharia and ensure equality before law.
Social Hierarchy:
Advocated division between elite (ashraf) and commoners (ajlaf).
Education:
Moral and spiritual training essential for rulers.

🔹 Relevance:

Blended Islamic ethics with governance.
Reflects medieval Indo-Islamic political thought.

5. Kabir (15th Century)

🔹 Tradition: Bhakti Movement

🔹 Key Ideas:

Unity of God and Humanity:
Criticized religious orthodoxy (both Hindu and Muslim).
Equality:
Rejected caste, ritualism, and priestly authority.
Inner Purity over Rituals:
True religion is based on love and truth.

🔹 Relevance:

Promoted social equality and religious tolerance.
Early advocate of humanism and unity in diversity.

6. Pandita Ramabai (1858–1922)

🔹 Background:

Social reformer and early feminist thinker.

🔹 Key Ideas:

Women’s Education:
Key to emancipation and empowerment.
Critique of Patriarchy:
Hindu scriptures and customs suppress women’s rights.
Social Reform:
Advocated widow remarriage, women’s property rights, and education.

🔹 Relevance:

Pioneer of Indian feminist political thought.

MODERN INDIAN POLITICAL THINKERS

7. Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856–1920)

🔹 Famous for: “Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it.”

🔹 Key Ideas:

Swaraj (Self-rule):
Political independence as natural right.
Militant Nationalism:
Advocated active struggle against colonial rule.
Revival of Hindu Culture:
Used festivals (Ganesh Utsav, Shivaji Jayanti) for political awakening.

🔹 Relevance:

Combined cultural nationalism with political action.
Father of Indian militant nationalism.

8. Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902)

🔹 Key Ideas:

Spiritual Nationalism:
India’s strength lies in its spirituality, not materialism.
Service to Humanity:
“Service to man is service to God.”
Education and Character-building:
Essential for nation-building.

🔹 Relevance:

Laid moral foundations for modern Indian nationalism.
Inspired youth awakening and self-confidence in colonized India.

9. Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941)

🔹 Works: Nationalism, Gitanjali

🔹 Key Ideas:

Universal Humanism:
Nationalism must not destroy human unity.
Freedom and Creativity:
True freedom means moral and spiritual self-development.
Critique of Narrow Nationalism:
Opposed aggressive patriotism and militarism.

🔹 Relevance:

Advocated cosmopolitan nationalism and ethical politics.
Balanced patriotism with universal brotherhood.

10. M.K. Gandhi (1869–1948)

🔹 Major Works: Hind Swaraj, My Experiments with Truth

🔹 Key Ideas:

Satyagraha (Truth-force):
Non-violent resistance against injustice.
Ahimsa (Non-violence):
Political power must rest on moral strength.
Swaraj (Self-rule):
Both political independence and self-control.
Trusteeship:
Rich hold wealth in trust for society.
Sarvodaya:
Welfare of all; social equality.

🔹 Relevance:

Combined ethics and politics.
Father of non-violent political philosophy globally.

11. Sri Aurobindo (1872–1950)

🔹 Major Works: The Life Divine, The Ideal of Human Unity

🔹 Key Ideas:

Integral Yoga:
Politics as part of spiritual evolution.
Nationalism as Spiritual Mission:
Nation is divine manifestation.
Human Unity:
Vision of spiritualized world society.

🔹 Relevance:

Blended spiritualism and nationalism.
Saw India’s freedom as step toward world unity.

12. Periyar E.V. Ramasamy (1879–1973)

🔹 Movement: Self-Respect Movement (Tamil Nadu)

🔹 Key Ideas:

Anti-Caste and Anti-Brahminism:
Denounced social hierarchy.
Rationalism:
Rejected superstition, religion-based inequality.
Women’s Liberation:
Advocated equality in marriage, property, education.
Self-Respect:
Emphasized dignity and equality for oppressed.

🔹 Relevance:

Pioneer of Dravidian and social justice politics.

13. Muhammad Iqbal (1877–1938)

🔹 Works: Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam

🔹 Key Ideas:

Spiritual Democracy:
Society guided by Islamic ethics and equality.
Concept of Khudi (Selfhood):
Self-realization through divine will.
Pan-Islamism:
Emphasized unity of Muslim world.
Two-Nation Theory:
Muslims and Hindus form distinct nations.

🔹 Relevance:

Laid philosophical basis for Pakistan movement.
Blended faith with modernity.

14. M.N. Roy (1887–1954)

🔹 Early Marxist, later Radical Humanist.

🔹 Key Ideas:

Marxist Phase:
Emphasized class struggle and revolution.
Later Radical Humanism:
Replaced class struggle with rational, ethical, and democratic humanism.
Freedom as Ethical Self-determination:
Man is central, not state or party.

🔹 Relevance:

Introduced scientific socialism to India.
Early advocate of democratic socialism and secular ethics.

15. V.D. Savarkar (1883–1966)

🔹 Works: Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?

🔹 Key Ideas:

Hindutva:
Cultural nationalism based on shared heritage.
National Unity:
Hindu civilization as unifying identity.
Revolutionary Nationalism:
Armed struggle for independence.
Social Reform:
Advocated gender equality and social reform.

🔹 Relevance:

Ideological founder of Hindu nationalism.

16. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (1891–1956)

🔹 Works: Annihilation of Caste, The Buddha and His Dhamma

🔹 Key Ideas:

Social Justice:
Abolish caste; equality of opportunity for all.
Democracy as Social Ideal:
Democracy = “a way of life based on liberty, equality, fraternity.”
Constitutionalism:
Law and institutions for social transformation.
Buddhist Influence:
Morality and compassion as political foundations.

🔹 Relevance:

Architect of Indian Constitution.
Champion of Dalit rights and social democracy.

17. Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964)

🔹 Works: Discovery of India, Autobiography

🔹 Key Ideas:

Democratic Socialism:
Synthesis of democracy and planned economic development.
Secularism:
Equal respect for all religions.
Scientific Temper:
Rational approach to social progress.
Non-alignment:
Independent foreign policy.

🔹 Relevance:

Builder of modern, secular, and democratic India.

18. Ram Manohar Lohia (1910–1967)

🔹 Key Ideas:

Socialism with Indian Context:
Decentralization and equality.
Four-Pillar State:
Power shared among village, district, province, and centre.
Anti-Caste and Pro-Women Rights.
Sapt Kranti (Seven Revolutions):
Against inequality in gender, caste, color, race, economics, and colonialism.

🔹 Relevance:

Combined social justice with democratic decentralization.

19. Jayaprakash Narayan (1902–1979)

🔹 Major Idea: Total Revolution (Sampoorna Kranti)

🔹 Key Ideas:

Total Revolution:
Political, economic, social, and moral transformation.
Sarvodaya Influence:
Non-violent reconstruction.
People’s Power:
Decentralized democracy.

🔹 Relevance:

Inspired 1970s democratic movements.
Advocated moral politics and people’s sovereignty.

20. Deendayal Upadhyaya (1916–1968)

🔹 Major Idea: Integral Humanism (Ekatma Manav Darshan)

🔹 Key Ideas:

Integration of Material and Spiritual:
Development should balance body, mind, intellect, and soul.
Decentralized Economy:
Self-reliant villages; against Western capitalism.
Cultural Nationalism:
Rooted in Bharatiya traditions.

🔹 Relevance:

Ideological foundation of modern Indian conservatism (Bharatiya Jana Sangh/BJP).

Summary Table

Thinker	Core Idea	Key Concept
Dharamshastra	Moral governance	Rule by Dharma
Kautilya	Realpolitik	Saptanga, Dandaniti
Agganna Sutta	Social contract	Dhamma, Equality
Barani	Islamic ethics	Moral monarchy
Kabir	Unity & equality	Bhakti humanism
Pandita Ramabai	Women’s rights	Feminist reform
Tilak	Political nationalism	Swaraj
Vivekananda	Spiritual nationalism	Service, strength
Tagore	Universal humanism	Freedom, harmony
Gandhi	Ethical politics	Satyagraha, Ahimsa
Aurobindo	Spiritual evolution	Integral Yoga
Periyar	Social justice	Rationalism
Iqbal	Islamic modernism	Khudi, Two-nation theory
M.N. Roy	Radical humanism	Ethical freedom
Savarkar	Cultural nationalism	Hindutva
Ambedkar	Social democracy	Equality, Constitution
Nehru	Democratic socialism	Secularism, planning
Lohia	Decentralized socialism	Four-pillar state
J.P. Narayan	Total revolution	People’s power
Deendayal Upadhyaya	Integral humanism	Spiritualized development

November 4, 2025

UGC NET Political Science – Unit 2: Political Thought (75 MCQs)

1. Confucius (Chinese Political Philosopher)

1. The central virtue in Confucian philosophy is:
A) Justice
B) Ren (Humaneness)
C) Li (Ritual)
D) Yi (Righteousness)
✅ Answer: B
📘 Ren means humaneness or benevolence — the foundation of moral order.

2. According to Confucius, a ruler should rule by:
A) Laws and punishments
B) Force and fear
C) Virtue and moral example
D) Wealth and power
✅ Answer: C
📘 Confucius believed in rule by virtue, not coercion.

3. “Filial piety” in Confucianism means:
A) Political equality
B) Respect for parents and elders
C) Obedience to the ruler
D) Economic independence
✅ Answer: B
📘 Family ethics form the foundation of social and political harmony.

4. Confucius’ teachings are compiled in:
A) The Republic
B) The Leviathan
C) The Analects
D) The Prince
✅ Answer: C
📘 The Analects is a collection of Confucius’ dialogues with his disciples.

5. Confucius emphasized the importance of:
A) Revolution
B) Rituals and moral education
C) Free market
D) Centralized monarchy
✅ Answer: B
📘 Moral education and ritual order ensure social harmony.

🏛️ 2. Plato

6. Plato’s ideal state is based on:
A) Equality of income
B) Division of labour and justice
C) Military power
D) Religious rule
✅ Answer: B
📘 Justice arises when each class performs its own function.

7. The philosopher-king represents:
A) Wealth
B) Wisdom
C) Courage
D) Force
✅ Answer: B
📘 The philosopher-king is guided by reason and truth.

8. According to Plato, justice means:
A) Obedience to laws
B) Doing one’s own work
C) Equality among classes
D) Distribution of wealth
✅ Answer: B
📘 Justice = harmony when everyone does what they are best suited for.

9. Plato’s education system aims at:
A) Economic growth
B) Moral and intellectual development
C) Political competition
D) Religious obedience
✅ Answer: B

10. Plato’s theory of forms emphasizes:
A) Knowledge of material things
B) Knowledge of ideal forms or ideas
C) Empirical observation
D) Political authority
✅ Answer: B
📘 True knowledge is of eternal, unchanging ideas.

3. Aristotle

11. Aristotle called man a:
A) Moral being
B) Political animal
C) Rational consumer
D) Social construct
✅ Answer: B

12. According to Aristotle, the state exists:
A) By force
B) By nature
C) By divine will
D) By accident
✅ Answer: B
📘 The state is a natural institution for achieving the good life.

13. Aristotle’s ideal state aims at:
A) Economic prosperity
B) Happiness and moral virtue
C) Military strength
D) Religious uniformity
✅ Answer: B

14. The best form of government, according to Aristotle, is:
A) Democracy
B) Monarchy
C) Polity (mixed government)
D) Tyranny
✅ Answer: C
📘 A constitutional government combining democracy and aristocracy.

15. Aristotle’s middle class theory highlights:
A) Economic equality
B) Stability through moderation
C) Rule of elites
D) Political apathy
✅ Answer: B
📘 The middle class prevents extremes of wealth and poverty.

4. Machiavelli

16. Machiavelli separated politics from:
A) Religion and ethics
B) Power
C) Law
D) History
✅ Answer: A
📘 Politics, for Machiavelli, is governed by realism, not morality.

17. The Prince teaches rulers to:
A) Rule morally
B) Appear virtuous, even if not
C) Reject power
D) Avoid conflict
✅ Answer: B

18. Virtù in Machiavelli’s thought means:
A) Moral goodness
B) Political skill and courage
C) Religious devotion
D) Economic power
✅ Answer: B

19. Fortuna symbolizes:
A) Luck and chance
B) Justice
C) Religion
D) Knowledge
✅ Answer: A
📘 A wise ruler can manage fortune through skill (virtù).

20. Machiavelli is known as:
A) Father of Idealism
B) Father of Modern Political Science
C) Father of Liberalism
D) Father of Democracy
✅ Answer: B

5. Thomas Hobbes

21. Hobbes described life in the state of nature as:
A) Peaceful
B) Cooperative
C) “Solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”
D) Harmonious
✅ Answer: C

22. Hobbes’ Leviathan represents:
A) The people
B) The state or sovereign
C) God
D) Revolution
✅ Answer: B

23. The basis of Hobbes’ social contract is:
A) Fear of death and desire for security
B) Moral obligation
C) Natural equality
D) Justice
✅ Answer: A

24. Hobbes favored:
A) Democracy
B) Absolute monarchy
C) Communism
D) Anarchy
✅ Answer: B

25. Hobbes’ theory is:
A) Idealist
B) Materialist
C) Utopian
D) Marxist
✅ Answer: B

6. John Locke

26. Locke’s state of nature was:
A) War
B) Peaceful and rational
C) Violent
D) Authoritarian
✅ Answer: B

27. Locke believed in:
A) Divine right of kings
B) Inalienable natural rights
C) Absolute sovereignty
D) Slavery
✅ Answer: B

28. Locke’s social contract created:
A) Absolute monarchy
B) Limited government
C) Theocracy
D) Oligarchy
✅ Answer: B

29. Locke’s natural rights are:
A) Life, liberty, property
B) Equality, fraternity, liberty
C) Power, property, prestige
D) Justice, equality, order
✅ Answer: A

30. Locke’s political theory inspired:
A) French monarchy
B) American Revolution
C) Feudalism
D) Fascism
✅ Answer: B

7. Jean-Jacques Rousseau

31. Rousseau believed man is born:
A) Evil
B) Free
C) Competitive
D) Religious
✅ Answer: B

32. The “General Will” represents:
A) Self-interest
B) Common good
C) Tyranny of majority
D) Minority interest
✅ Answer: B

33. Sovereignty in Rousseau’s theory lies in:
A) Monarch
B) People
C) God
D) Parliament
✅ Answer: B

34. Rousseau advocated:
A) Direct democracy
B) Monarchy
C) Technocracy
D) Feudalism
✅ Answer: A

35. Rousseau inspired:
A) Industrial Revolution
B) French Revolution
C) American Civil War
D) Cold War
✅ Answer: B

8. G.W.F. Hegel

36. Hegel’s dialectical method includes:
A) Cause and effect
B) Thesis–Antithesis–Synthesis
C) Action–Reaction
D) Law–Order
✅ Answer: B

37. For Hegel, the state is:
A) Contractual
B) Ethical idea
C) Economic institution
D) Natural body
✅ Answer: B

38. Freedom, for Hegel, is realized through:
A) Isolation
B) The state
C) Family
D) Religion
✅ Answer: B

39. Hegel influenced:
A) Mill
B) Marx
C) Hobbes
D) Machiavelli
✅ Answer: B

40. Hegel viewed history as:
A) Circular
B) Random
C) Progressive realization of freedom
D) Regression
✅ Answer: C

9. Mary Wollstonecraft

41. Mary Wollstonecraft’s main work:
A) The Second Sex
B) A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
C) The Subjection of Women
D) The Feminine Mystique
✅ Answer: B

42. She advocated:
A) Women’s dependence
B) Equal education for women
C) Political exclusion
D) Patriarchy
✅ Answer: B

43. Wollstonecraft is associated with:
A) Socialist feminism
B) Liberal feminism
C) Radical feminism
D) Cultural feminism
✅ Answer: B

44. She believed inequality comes from:
A) Nature
B) Lack of education
C) Biology
D) Capitalism
✅ Answer: B

45. Wollstonecraft lived during the:
A) French Revolution
B) Industrial Revolution
C) Cold War
D) Renaissance
✅ Answer: A

10. John Stuart Mill

46. Mill’s On Liberty defends:
A) Free trade
B) Individual freedom limited by harm principle
C) Absolute liberty
D) Anarchy
✅ Answer: B

47. Mill’s utilitarianism seeks:
A) Greatest happiness of greatest number
B) Individual perfection only
C) Economic liberty
D) Pleasure without limits
✅ Answer: A

48. Mill supported:
A) Women’s suffrage
B) Slavery
C) Dictatorship
D) Censorship
✅ Answer: A

49. Mill’s ideal government:
A) Absolute monarchy
B) Representative democracy
C) Bureaucracy
D) Theocracy
✅ Answer: B

50. Mill combined:
A) Liberty and authority
B) Ethics and economy
C) Freedom and equality
D) Both A and C
✅ Answer: D

11. Karl Marx

51. Marx’s theory of history is known as:
A) Historical Idealism
B) Historical Materialism
C) Historical Realism
D) Economic Determinism
✅ Answer: B

52. According to Marx, class struggle arises due to:
A) Power
B) Property ownership
C) Culture
D) Religion
✅ Answer: B

53. Surplus value means:
A) Extra profit from trade
B) Unpaid labor appropriated by capitalists
C) Bonus income
D) State subsidy
✅ Answer: B

54. Marx predicted a society that is:
A) Stateless and classless
B) Bureaucratic
C) Democratic
D) Religious
✅ Answer: A

55. “Religion is the opium of the people” was said by:
A) Lenin
B) Marx
C) Engels
D) Stalin
✅ Answer: B

12. Antonio Gramsci

56. Gramsci’s key concept:
A) Alienation
B) Cultural hegemony
C) Surplus value
D) General will
✅ Answer: B

57. “Organic intellectuals” belong to:
A) Ruling class
B) Working class
C) Military class
D) Elite class
✅ Answer: B

58. Gramsci viewed civil society as:
A) Site of class conflict and consent
B) State institution
C) Neutral space
D) Religious institution
✅ Answer: A

59. His ideas are found in:
A) The Communist Manifesto
B) Prison Notebooks
C) Das Kapital
D) The Prince
✅ Answer: B

60. Gramsci broadened Marxism to include:
A) Culture and ideology
B) Biology
C) Race
D) Technology
✅ Answer: A

🕊️ 13. Hannah Arendt

61. Arendt’s major work:
A) The Human Condition
B) On Contradiction
C) A Theory of Justice
D) The Leviathan
✅ Answer: A

62. She analyzed:
A) Colonialism
B) Totalitarianism
C) Feminism
D) Capitalism
✅ Answer: B

63. Arendt’s “public sphere” is a space for:
A) Private life
B) Political action and freedom
C) Economic production
D) Religious debate
✅ Answer: B

64. “Banality of evil” refers to:
A) Organized crime
B) Ordinary obedience to authority leading to evil
C) Natural sinfulness
D) Political corruption
✅ Answer: B

65. Freedom, for Arendt, means:
A) Absence of restraint
B) Political participation and action
C) Economic wealth
D) Obedience
✅ Answer: B

14. Frantz Fanon

66. Fanon is best known for:
A) Liberalism
B) Anti-colonial thought
C) Feminism
D) Conservatism
✅ Answer: B

67. The Wretched of the Earth argues for:
A) Violent decolonization
B) Peaceful reform
C) Westernization
D) Religious revival
✅ Answer: A

68. Fanon analyzed colonialism as:
A) Political oppression only
B) Psychological and cultural domination
C) Economic development
D) Moral mission
✅ Answer: B

69. Fanon was influenced by:
A) Marxism and Existentialism
B) Liberalism
C) Conservatism
D) Realism
✅ Answer: A

70. His works inspired:
A) Feminist movements
B) National liberation struggles
C) European integration
D) Monarchy
✅ Answer: B

🌾 15. Mao Zedong

71. Mao adapted Marxism to:
A) Peasant-based society
B) Industrial working class
C) Feudal Europe
D) Urban elites
✅ Answer: A

72. “Mass line” means:
A) Party control over people
B) Leaders learn from and serve the masses
C) Military rule
D) State propaganda
✅ Answer: B

73. Mao emphasized:
A) Continuous revolution
B) Bureaucracy
C) Democracy
D) Capitalism
✅ Answer: A

74. His essay On Contradiction deals with:
A) Class unity
B) Dialectical struggle within society
C) Religious harmony
D) Political peace
✅ Answer: B

75. Mao believed revolution should be:
A) Urban and elite-driven
B) Rural and people-led
C) Peaceful
D) Technocratic
✅ Answer: B

November 4, 2025

UGC NET Political Science – Unit 2: Political Thought

Political thought refers to the systematic reflection on political ideas, institutions, and values that shape human society.
It includes the study of thinkers who have developed ideas about state, power, justice, liberty, equality, and revolution.

1. Confucius (551 – 479 BCE) – Chinese Political Philosopher

🔹 Context:

Ancient China; founder of Confucianism.
His philosophy focused on moral order, good governance, and social harmony.

🔹 Key Ideas:

Moral Foundation of Politics:
Rulers must be virtuous; moral leadership ensures stability.
Virtue (Ren):
Humanity, kindness, benevolence – the core of good governance.
Ritual (Li):
Proper behavior and customs maintain social order.
Ideal Ruler – “Junzi” (Superior Man):
Rules by moral example, not by force.
Family as the Model for State:
Filial piety (respect for parents) extends to political obedience.

🔹 Relevance:

Early advocate of ethical leadership and merit-based governance.
Inspired East Asian political and civil service systems.

2. Plato (427 – 347 BCE) – Greek Idealist Philosopher

🔹 Major Work: The Republic, The Statesman, The Laws

🔹 Key Ideas:

Theory of Justice:
Justice = everyone performing their assigned function.
- Rulers → Wisdom
- Soldiers → Courage
- Producers → Temperance
- Justice = Harmony among classes.
Theory of Forms (Ideas):
Real knowledge is of eternal ideas, not material objects.
The philosopher-king understands these forms.
Ideal State:
- Based on reason, spirit, and appetite.
- Governed by Philosopher-Kings, the wisest and most virtuous.
Education:
Essential for producing rational and moral citizens.

🔹 Relevance:

Pioneer of normative political theory.
Advocated rule by wisdom and merit, not wealth or birth.

3. Aristotle (384 – 322 BCE) – Realist and Empiricist Thinker

🔹 Major Work: Politics, Nicomachean Ethics

🔹 Key Ideas:

Man as a Political Animal:
Humans realize their potential only in the polis (community).
State as Natural:
The state exists by nature and aims at the highest good.
Classification of Governments:
- Monarchy (Rule by one for common good) → can degenerate to Tyranny
- Aristocracy (Rule by few) → can degenerate to Oligarchy
- Polity (Rule by many) → can degenerate to Democracy
Middle Class Theory:
Stability comes from a strong middle class.
Constitutionalism:
Rule of law and mixed government as ideal.

🔹 Relevance:

Father of Political Science (empirical and comparative).
Foundation of constitutional democracy and rule of law.

4. Niccolò Machiavelli (1469 – 1527) – Founder of Modern Political Thought

🔹 Major Works: The Prince, Discourses on Livy

🔹 Key Ideas:

Politics as Autonomous:
Separated politics from ethics and religion.
Ends Justify Means:
A ruler may use deceit, cruelty, or manipulation if it ensures stability and power.
Virtù and Fortuna:
- Virtù = Political skill, courage, intelligence.
- Fortuna = Fortune or luck.
  A wise ruler balances both.
Republicanism:
In Discourses, Machiavelli favored republican government based on civic virtue.

🔹 Relevance:

Father of modern secular realism.
Emphasized statecraft, power, and political survival.

5. Thomas Hobbes (1588 – 1679) – Founder of Social Contract Theory

🔹 Major Work: Leviathan (1651)

🔹 Key Ideas:

State of Nature:
Life was “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
Humans driven by fear and self-preservation.
Social Contract:
Individuals surrender all rights to a sovereign for protection.
Absolute Sovereignty:
Strong, undivided power necessary for peace.
Materialism:
Society and state are human constructs, not divine.

🔹 Relevance:

Justified absolute authority but also introduced rational basis of state.

6. John Locke (1632 – 1704) – Liberal Contractualist

🔹 Major Works: Two Treatises of Government

🔹 Key Ideas:

State of Nature:
Peaceful, guided by reason and natural law.
Natural Rights:
Life, liberty, and property are inalienable.
Social Contract:
Government protects natural rights; people can resist tyranny.
Limited Government:
Power based on consent of governed.

🔹 Relevance:

Father of liberalism.
Foundation for constitutional democracy and rule of law.

7. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778) – Champion of Popular Sovereignty

🔹 Major Work: The Social Contract

🔹 Key Ideas:

Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.
Society corrupts natural freedom.
General Will:
Collective will of the people aimed at common good.
Popular Sovereignty:
Sovereignty lies with the people, not rulers.
Direct Democracy:
Citizens directly make laws.

🔹 Relevance:

Inspiration for French Revolution and modern democracy.
Advocated participatory politics.

8. G.W.F. Hegel (1770 – 1831) – Idealist Philosopher

🔹 Major Works: Philosophy of Right, Phenomenology of Spirit

🔹 Key Ideas:

Dialectical Method:
History progresses through thesis → antithesis → synthesis.
State as Ethical Spirit:
State is the embodiment of moral and rational life.
Freedom through the State:
True freedom realized in obedience to rational laws.
Historical Development:
History as realization of human freedom.

🔹 Relevance:

Influenced Marx’s dialectical materialism.
Gave foundation for modern idealist political theory.

9. Mary Wollstonecraft (1759 – 1797) – Pioneer of Feminist Thought

🔹 Major Work: A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)

🔹 Key Ideas:

Equality of Sexes:
Women possess same reasoning abilities as men.
Education:
Equal education essential for equality and citizenship.
Critique of Patriarchy:
Opposed gender-based discrimination and dependence.

🔹 Relevance:

First modern feminist.
Laid foundation for liberal feminism.

10. John Stuart Mill (1806 – 1873) – Liberal and Utilitarian Philosopher

🔹 Major Works: On Liberty, Utilitarianism, The Subjection of Women

🔹 Key Ideas:

Liberty:
Freedom of thought, expression, and action (limited by harm principle).
Representative Government:
Democracy best serves human development.
Utilitarianism:
“Greatest happiness of the greatest number.”
Gender Equality:
Advocated women’s rights and political participation.

🔹 Relevance:

Father of modern liberal democracy and rights-based politics.

11. Karl Marx (1818 – 1883) – Founder of Scientific Socialism

🔹 Major Works: Communist Manifesto, Das Kapital

🔹 Key Ideas:

Historical Materialism:
Economic structure (base) determines political superstructure.
Class Struggle:
History is conflict between classes (bourgeoisie vs proletariat).
Surplus Value:
Exploitation of workers through unpaid labor.
Revolution and Communism:
Workers’ revolution → classless, stateless society.

🔹 Relevance:

Foundation of Marxism and socialist movements worldwide.

12. Antonio Gramsci (1891 – 1937) – Neo-Marxist Thinker

🔹 Major Work: Prison Notebooks

🔹 Key Ideas:

Cultural Hegemony:
Ruling class maintains dominance through ideas and culture, not just force.
Civil Society:
Key site for contesting power (education, religion, media).
Organic Intellectuals:
Leaders emerging from working class to challenge ruling ideology.

🔹 Relevance:

Extended Marxism to culture and ideology.
Basis for critical theory and cultural studies.

13. Hannah Arendt (1906 – 1975) – Political Philosopher of Action

🔹 Major Works: The Human Condition, The Origins of Totalitarianism

🔹 Key Ideas:

Totalitarianism:
Dangers of mass conformity and destruction of individuality.
Public Sphere:
Politics as space of action, speech, and plurality.
Freedom and Action:
True freedom = participation in public life.
Evil as Banality:
Ordinary individuals can commit evil by following orders unthinkingly.

🔹 Relevance:

Reinvented republican and participatory ideals of politics.

14. Frantz Fanon (1925 – 1961) – Anti-Colonial Revolutionary Thinker

🔹 Major Works: The Wretched of the Earth, Black Skin, White Masks

🔹 Key Ideas:

Colonialism and Violence:
Colonization dehumanizes the oppressed; liberation requires revolutionary violence.
Psychological Oppression:
Colonialism damages the colonized psyche and identity.
National Culture:
Post-colonial identity rooted in indigenous culture and struggle.

🔹 Relevance:

Key figure in postcolonial theory and liberation movements.

15. Mao Zedong (1893 – 1976) – Marxist Revolutionary Leader of China

🔹 Major Works: On Contradiction, On Practice

🔹 Key Ideas:

Sinification of Marxism:
Adapted Marxism to Chinese conditions (peasants as revolutionary class).
Mass Line Theory:
“From the masses, to the masses” – leadership must reflect people’s needs.
Continuous Revolution:
Prevent bureaucratization by ongoing revolutionary struggle.

🔹 Relevance:

Created Maoism, blending Marxism with rural revolution and nationalism.

16. John Rawls (1921 – 2002) – Liberal Egalitarian Philosopher

🔹 Major Works: A Theory of Justice, Political Liberalism

🔹 Key Ideas:

Justice as Fairness:
Fair distribution under conditions of equality.
Original Position & Veil of Ignorance:
Rational individuals design just principles without knowing their social position.
Two Principles of Justice:
- Equal basic liberties for all.
- Inequalities allowed only if they benefit the least advantaged (Difference Principle).

🔹 Relevance:

Most influential 20th-century liberal thinker.
Foundation for welfare state and social justice theory.

Summary Chart

Thinker	Core Idea	Major Work	Key Concept
Confucius	Moral rule & harmony	Analects	Virtue (Ren), Li
Plato	Ideal State	Republic	Philosopher King
Aristotle	Empirical politics	Politics	Man as political animal
Machiavelli	Power & Realism	The Prince	Virtù and Fortuna
Hobbes	Security & Order	Leviathan	Social Contract
Locke	Natural Rights	Two Treatises	Life, Liberty, Property
Rousseau	Popular Sovereignty	Social Contract	General Will
Hegel	Idealism & State	Philosophy of Right	Dialectic
Wollstonecraft	Gender Equality	Rights of Woman	Education & Rights
Mill	Liberty & Utilitarianism	On Liberty	Harm Principle
Marx	Class Struggle	Das Kapital	Historical Materialism
Gramsci	Cultural Hegemony	Prison Notebooks	Civil Society
Arendt	Active Citizenship	Human Condition	Public Action
Fanon	Anti-colonialism	Wretched of the Earth	Liberation Violence
Mao	Peasant Revolution	On Contradiction	Mass Line
Rawls	Justice as Fairness	Theory of Justice	Veil of Ignorance

November 4, 2025

UGC NET Political Science – Unit 1: Political Theory-MCQs

75 MCQs with Answers & Explanations

Section A: Meaning, Nature & Scope of Political Theory

1. Political theory mainly deals with:
A) Political facts
B) Political values and ideas
C) Political institutions only
D) Administrative rules
✅ Answer: B
📘 Political theory studies ideas, principles, and values that shape political life.

2. Which of the following is a normative question?
A) What is the voter turnout?
B) Should liberty be restricted for security?
C) How many seats are in Parliament?
D) What is the GDP growth rate?
✅ Answer: B
📘 Normative theory asks “what ought to be,” focusing on moral or value judgments.

3. The empirical approach in political theory focuses on:
A) Values
B) Data and observation
C) Ideology
D) Moral reasoning
✅ Answer: B
📘 Empirical theories are based on facts and data, not value judgments.

4. Which statement is correct?
A) Political theory is only descriptive.
B) Political theory is both normative and empirical.
C) Political theory is about administration.
D) Political theory rejects values.
✅ Answer: B
📘 Political theory includes both moral principles and scientific analysis.

5. Who said, “Political theory is a master science”?
A) Plato
B) Aristotle
C) Machiavelli
D) Hobbes
✅ Answer: B
📘 Aristotle called politics the “master science” because it organizes all others.

Section B: Concepts

Liberty

6. Liberty means:
A) Absence of law
B) Absence of restraint with reasonable control
C) Doing whatever one wants
D) Power of the ruler
✅ Answer: B
📘 Liberty = freedom within law, not anarchy.

7. Positive liberty means:
A) Freedom from interference
B) Freedom to act or realize oneself
C) Economic freedom only
D) Political freedom only
✅ Answer: B
📘 Positive liberty = freedom to achieve self-development.

8. The idea of “negative liberty” is linked with:
A) Marx
B) Isaiah Berlin
C) Rousseau
D) Gandhi
✅ Answer: B
📘 Berlin distinguished between positive and negative liberty in his essay (1958).

9. “Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.” –
A) Hobbes
B) Locke
C) J.S. Mill
D) Rousseau
✅ Answer: C
📘 J.S. Mill in On Liberty (1859) defended individual freedom and limited state control.

Equality

10. Equality means:
A) Same income for all
B) Absence of privilege and discrimination
C) Uniformity
D) Economic parity only
✅ Answer: B
📘 Equality ensures fairness and equal opportunities, not identical outcomes.

11. “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” was stated by:
A) Lenin
B) Marx
C) Engels
D) Owen
✅ Answer: B
📘 Marx’s principle of economic equality and communism.

12. Political equality means:
A) Equal property
B) Equal political rights like vote
C) Equal wealth
D) Equal income
✅ Answer: B
📘 Equal right to vote, contest elections, and hold office.

Justice

13. Justice primarily means:
A) Punishment
B) Fairness
C) Rule of law
D) Equality of income
✅ Answer: B
📘 Justice = fair and just distribution of resources and opportunities.

14. John Rawls defines justice as:
A) Fairness
B) Freedom
C) Discipline
D) Efficiency
✅ Answer: A
📘 Rawls’ A Theory of Justice = justice as fairness.

15. Rawls’ “difference principle” allows inequality only when:
A) It benefits the least advantaged
B) It helps the rich
C) It ensures economic growth
D) It increases taxation
✅ Answer: A
📘 Inequality is justifiable only if it improves the position of the poorest.

Rights

16. Rights are:
A) Moral claims not recognized by state
B) Demands recognized and enforced by society/state
C) Only legal claims
D) Privileges of rulers
✅ Answer: B
📘 Rights are legally and morally justified claims.

17. Who said, “Rights are conditions necessary for the development of personality”?
A) Laski
B) Marx
C) Locke
D) Bentham
✅ Answer: A
📘 Laski emphasized social rights for personal development.

18. Natural rights theory was given by:
A) Hobbes
B) Locke
C) Rousseau
D) Burke
✅ Answer: B
📘 Locke: rights to life, liberty, and property are natural and inalienable.

Democracy

19. “Government of the people, by the people, for the people” –
A) Lincoln
B) Aristotle
C) Rousseau
D) Mill
✅ Answer: A
📘 Classic definition of representative democracy by Abraham Lincoln.

20. Democracy’s key element is:
A) Monarchy
B) Rule of Law and Participation
C) Bureaucracy
D) Elitism
✅ Answer: B
📘 Democracy is based on rule of law, equality, and participation.

Power

21. Power means:
A) Physical strength
B) Ability to influence others
C) Authority only
D) Money
✅ Answer: B
📘 Power = capacity to influence or control behavior.

22. Max Weber defined power as:
A) The monopoly of violence
B) Ability to achieve one’s will despite resistance
C) Legitimate authority
D) Institutional control
✅ Answer: B
📘 Weber’s famous definition from Economy and Society.

23. Steven Lukes’ third dimension of power is:
A) Decision-making
B) Agenda-setting
C) Manipulating beliefs and preferences
D) Legal control
✅ Answer: C
📘 Power also works through controlling ideas and perceptions.

Citizenship

24. Citizenship means:
A) Living in a country
B) Legal and political membership of a state
C) Birthplace identity
D) Voter ID
✅ Answer: B
📘 Citizenship = membership with rights and duties.

25. The concept of “global citizenship” emphasizes:
A) National loyalty
B) Rights of only citizens
C) Universal human rights
D) Corporate identity
✅ Answer: C
📘 Global citizenship = rights beyond borders.

Section C: Political Traditions / Ideologies

Liberalism

26. Liberalism primarily emphasizes:
A) Authority
B) Individual liberty
C) Equality only
D) Class struggle
✅ Answer: B
📘 Liberalism = freedom and limited state power.

27. The father of classical liberalism is:
A) Marx
B) Locke
C) Mill
D) Hobbes
✅ Answer: B
📘 Locke → natural rights & limited government.

28. Modern liberalism supports:
A) Laissez-faire economy
B) Welfare state
C) Monarchy
D) Military rule
✅ Answer: B
📘 Modern liberals emphasize state intervention for social welfare.

Conservatism

29. Conservatism stresses:
A) Radical change
B) Revolution
C) Tradition and gradual reform
D) Anarchy
✅ Answer: C
📘 Burke → “Change must preserve continuity.”

30. Edmund Burke opposed:
A) French Revolution
B) Industrial Revolution
C) Reformation
D) American Revolution
✅ Answer: A
📘 Burke saw the French Revolution as chaotic destruction of tradition.

Socialism

31. Socialism seeks:
A) Private property
B) Equality and cooperation
C) Market competition
D) Inequality
✅ Answer: B
📘 Core of socialism = collective welfare.

32. Democratic socialism emphasizes:
A) Revolution
B) Violence
C) Gradual reform within democracy
D) Dictatorship
✅ Answer: C
📘 Achieve socialist aims peacefully through democracy.

Marxism

33. Marx considered history as:
A) Struggle between good and evil
B) Class struggle
C) Cultural conflict
D) Economic competition only
✅ Answer: B
📘 “History of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.”

34. The base in Marxism refers to:
A) Ideology
B) Economic structure
C) Political system
D) Religion
✅ Answer: B
📘 Base (economy) determines the superstructure (law, politics, culture).

35. Alienation refers to:
A) Political disinterest
B) Separation of worker from product and self
C) Religious freedom
D) Class unity
✅ Answer: B
📘 Alienation occurs when workers lose control over their work and creativity.

36. Marx predicted the ultimate stage of society as:
A) Capitalism
B) Communism
C) Feudalism
D) Democracy
✅ Answer: B
📘 Classless, stateless, communist society → Marx’s end goal.

Feminism

37. Feminism seeks:
A) Women superiority
B) Gender equality
C) Abolition of marriage
D) Patriarchy
✅ Answer: B
📘 Feminism = equal rights and representation.

38. “The personal is political” relates to:
A) Liberal feminism
B) Radical feminism
C) Socialist feminism
D) Postmodern feminism
✅ Answer: B
📘 Radical feminists argue private life also reflects patriarchal power.

39. The book The Second Sex was written by:
A) Mary Wollstonecraft
B) Simone de Beauvoir
C) Betty Friedan
D) Germaine Greer
✅ Answer: B
📘 Seminal work in feminist theory.

Ecologism

40. Ecologism focuses on:
A) Industrial growth
B) Environmental balance
C) Capitalist development
D) Urbanization
✅ Answer: B
📘 Emphasizes sustainability and harmony with nature.

41. Deep ecology was propounded by:
A) Vandana Shiva
B) Arne Naess
C) Foucault
D) Kymlicka
✅ Answer: B
📘 Arne Naess → deep respect for intrinsic value of nature.

Multiculturalism

42. Multiculturalism supports:
A) Uniform culture
B) Cultural diversity and group rights
C) Assimilation
D) Racial superiority
✅ Answer: B
📘 Promotes recognition of cultural pluralism.

43. Will Kymlicka is associated with:
A) Marxism
B) Multiculturalism
C) Feminism
D) Conservatism
✅ Answer: B
📘 Kymlicka wrote Multicultural Citizenship.

Postmodernism

44. Postmodernism rejects:
A) Diversity
B) Grand universal theories
C) Pluralism
D) Language
✅ Answer: B
📘 Postmodernists deny universal truths or metanarratives.

45. Which thinker is linked to postmodernism?
A) Foucault
B) Marx
C) Rawls
D) Locke
✅ Answer: A
📘 Foucault emphasized power-knowledge relationship.

Section D: Thinkers & Comparative Ideas

46. Locke justified revolution against:
A) Tyranny
B) Democracy
C) Capitalism
D) Religion
✅ Answer: A

47. Hobbes’ state of nature was:
A) Peaceful
B) State of war
C) Cooperative
D) Harmonious
✅ Answer: B
📘 Hobbes: life was “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

48. Rousseau’s social contract aimed at:
A) Private property protection
B) General will
C) Dictatorship
D) Religious law
✅ Answer: B
📘 Sovereignty lies with the general will (collective good).

49. Bentham is known for:
A) Rights theory
B) Utilitarianism
C) Idealism
D) Marxism
✅ Answer: B
📘 “Greatest happiness of the greatest number.”

50. For Plato, justice means:
A) Equality of income
B) Doing one’s own duty
C) Freedom of expression
D) Voting rights
✅ Answer: B
📘 Justice = harmony; each class performing its proper role.

51. Aristotle considered man as:
A) Economic animal
B) Political animal
C) Religious animal
D) Moral animal
✅ Answer: B
📘 “Man is by nature a political animal.”

52. Marx’s classless society =
A) Stateless and propertyless society
B) Dictatorship
C) Welfare state
D) Oligarchy
✅ Answer: A
📘 Communism abolishes state and class distinctions.

53. Machiavelli is often considered the father of:
A) Modern political philosophy
B) Liberalism
C) Marxism
D) Idealism
✅ Answer: A
📘 He separated politics from morality.

54. Hannah Arendt is known for her analysis of:
A) Feminism
B) Totalitarianism
C) Capitalism
D) Socialism
✅ Answer: B
📘 Her book The Origins of Totalitarianism.

55. Who emphasized “citizenship and civic virtue”?
A) Machiavelli
B) Hobbes
C) Mill
D) Rawls
✅ Answer: A
📘 Republican tradition → active civic participation.

Section E: Miscellaneous & Modern Applications

56. Who defined democracy as “competitive elitism”?
A) Schumpeter
B) Dahl
C) Rawls
D) Mill
✅ Answer: A

57. The concept of “power elite” was introduced by:
A) Karl Marx
B) C. Wright Mills
C) Weber
D) Foucault
✅ Answer: B

58. Political obligation refers to:
A) Paying taxes
B) Obedience to laws of the state
C) Joining parties
D) Electing leaders
✅ Answer: B

59. The theory of “justice as fairness” was given by:
A) Marx
B) Rawls
C) Mill
D) Nozick
✅ Answer: B

60. Nozick’s Anarchy, State and Utopia supports:
A) Minimal state
B) Welfare state
C) Communism
D) Dictatorship
✅ Answer: A

61. “Social contract” theory unites:
A) Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau
B) Marx, Engels, Lenin
C) Mill, Bentham, Rawls
D) Aristotle, Plato, Burke
✅ Answer: A

62. The feminist slogan “equal pay for equal work” is part of:
A) Radical feminism
B) Liberal feminism
C) Socialist feminism
D) Ecofeminism
✅ Answer: B

63. The notion that environment and humans are interdependent belongs to:
A) Ecologism
B) Feminism
C) Marxism
D) Realism
✅ Answer: A

64. The idea of participatory democracy emphasizes:
A) Voting only
B) Active citizen involvement in decision-making
C) Party loyalty
D) Economic growth
✅ Answer: B

65. Which thinker linked democracy and development as “freedom”?
A) Rawls
B) Sen
C) Marx
D) Mill
✅ Answer: B
📘 Amartya Sen → “Development as Freedom.”

66. “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” –
A) Rousseau
B) Marx
C) Mill
D) Hobbes
✅ Answer: A

67. Feminist political theory critiques:
A) Capitalism
B) Patriarchy
C) Democracy
D) Globalization
✅ Answer: B

68. According to Marx, the state is an instrument of:
A) Justice
B) Ruling class domination
C) Equality
D) Freedom
✅ Answer: B

69. The “end of ideology” thesis was advanced by:
A) Daniel Bell
B) Marx
C) Nozick
D) Arendt
✅ Answer: A

70. “End of History” thesis (liberal democracy as final stage) –
A) Rawls
B) Fukuyama
C) Huntington
D) Marx
✅ Answer: B

71. Postmodernists believe knowledge is:
A) Absolute
B) Relative and socially constructed
C) Scientific only
D) Divine
✅ Answer: B

72. Deliberative democracy emphasizes:
A) Electoral competition only
B) Deliberation and reasoned discussion among citizens
C) Rule by experts
D) Centralized authority
✅ Answer: B
📘 Explanation: Deliberative democracy (Habermas, Cohen, Rawls’ later work) stresses public reasoning and discussion as central to legitimate democratic decisions.

73. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman was written by:
A) Simone de Beauvoir
B) Betty Friedan
C) Mary Wollstonecraft
D) Gloria Steinem
✅ Answer: C
📘 Explanation: Mary Wollstonecraft (1792) is an early feminist classic arguing for women’s education and equal rights.

74. Civic republicanism primarily emphasizes:
A) Individual economic rights
B) Civic virtue, public-spiritedness, and active participation
C) Market freedom
D) Elimination of the public sphere
✅ Answer: B
📘 Explanation: Civic republican tradition (Aristotle → Machiavelli → contemporary republicans) focuses on citizen engagement, civic virtue, and freedom as non-domination.

75. The doctrine that highlights separation of powers and the rule of law was famously advanced by:
A) Hobbes
B) Rousseau
C) Montesquieu
D) Marx
✅ Answer: C
📘 Explanation: Montesquieu (The Spirit of the Laws) argued for separation of powers (legislative, executive, judicial) to prevent tyranny and uphold the rule of law.

November 4, 2025

UGC NET Political Science – Unit 1: Political Theory

I. Meaning and Scope of Political Theory

🔹 Meaning:

Political theory is the systematic study of ideas and values related to political life — power, justice, liberty, equality, rights, and democracy.

It asks:

What is the best form of government?
How should power be distributed?
What makes a society just and fair?

🔹 Nature:

Political theory is both normative (what ought to be) and empirical (what actually is).

🔹 Scope:

Conceptual Analysis – understanding political ideas (liberty, equality, justice, etc.)
Normative Theory – setting standards for political life.
Empirical Study – analyzing institutions and behavior scientifically.
Critique and Change – guiding reform and social transformation.

🧠 II. Key Political Concepts

1. Liberty (Freedom)

Meaning:
Liberty means the absence of restraint and the opportunity to act according to one’s own will within social limits.

Types:

Positive Liberty: Freedom to do something (self-realization, collective good).
Negative Liberty: Freedom from external interference (individual rights).

Thinkers:

Isaiah Berlin: Differentiated between positive and negative liberty.
J.S. Mill: Advocated liberty of thought, expression, and action (limited by “harm principle”).

2. Equality

Meaning:
Equality means removal of privileges and discriminations; ensuring equal rights and opportunities.

Forms:

Political Equality – one person, one vote.
Social Equality – no caste, class, gender discrimination.
Economic Equality – fair distribution of wealth.
Legal Equality – equal protection of laws.

Key Idea:
Equality does not mean uniformity; it means fairness in opportunity.

3. Justice

Meaning:
Justice is the moral ideal that ensures fairness in social, economic, and political relations.

Types:

Distributive Justice – fair distribution of resources.
Procedural Justice – fairness in processes and laws.
Social Justice – ending oppression and inequalities.

Thinker:

John Rawls: A Theory of Justice → Justice as fairness, based on equality of opportunity and difference principle.

4. Rights

Meaning:
Rights are claims recognized by society as essential for individual development.

Types:

Natural Rights – inherent (life, liberty, property – Locke).
Legal Rights – given by state laws.
Moral Rights – based on ethics.

Key Idea:
Rights and duties are interdependent; no right without responsibility.

5. Democracy

Meaning:
Government “of the people, by the people, for the people.” – Abraham Lincoln

Types:

Direct Democracy: Citizens directly participate (ancient Athens).
Representative Democracy: Elected representatives act on behalf.

Core Values:

Political equality
Participation
Rule of law
Accountability
Tolerance

Modern View:
Democracy is not only political but also social and economic participation (Amartya Sen’s idea of development as freedom).

6. Power

Meaning:
Power is the ability to influence others’ behavior to achieve desired outcomes.

Forms (Lukes’ three dimensions):

Decision-making power
Agenda-setting power
Ideological power (shaping beliefs)

Types of Power:

Coercive (force)
Economic
Political
Ideological

Thinkers: Max Weber (power and authority), Michel Foucault (power is diffused, present in all relationships).

7. Citizenship

Meaning:
Membership in a political community with rights and duties.

Types:

Liberal Citizenship: Focus on rights and individual freedom.
Republican Citizenship: Emphasizes civic duty and participation.
Global Citizenship: Beyond national boundaries — universal human rights.

Modern Issues:
Dual citizenship, migration, cultural pluralism, refugees, gender inclusivity.

🌍 III. Major Political Traditions / Ideologies

1. Liberalism

Core Ideas:

Individual freedom and equality before law
Limited government
Private property and free market

Thinkers: John Locke, J.S. Mill, Adam Smith

Types:

Classical Liberalism: Minimum state interference.
Modern Liberalism: State ensures welfare and equality of opportunity.

2. Conservatism

Core Ideas:

Value of tradition and gradual change
Importance of family, religion, authority
Skeptical of radical reforms

Thinkers: Edmund Burke, Michael Oakeshott

Quote: “A state without the means of change is without the means of its conservation.” – Burke

3. Socialism

Core Ideas:

Cooperation over competition
Economic equality
Collective ownership of means of production

Types:

Democratic Socialism
Revolutionary Socialism

Thinkers: Karl Marx, Robert Owen, Bernstein

4. Marxism

Core Ideas:

Economic structure shapes politics
Class struggle is the motor of history
Goal: classless, stateless society

Key Concepts:
Base & superstructure, surplus value, alienation, proletarian revolution.

Thinkers: Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels (Communist Manifesto).

5. Feminism

Core Ideas:

Gender equality and women’s empowerment
Critique of patriarchy
Equal representation and opportunity

Types:

Liberal Feminism (equal rights)
Radical Feminism (overthrow patriarchy)
Socialist Feminism (links gender & class)
Ecofeminism (links oppression of women and nature)

6. Ecologism

Core Ideas:

Protection of environment and sustainable living
Human life interconnected with nature
Criticism of industrial capitalism and consumerism

Variants:
Deep ecology (radical), shallow ecology (reformist).

Thinkers: Arne Naess, Vandana Shiva.

7. Multiculturalism

Core Ideas:

Recognition and respect for cultural diversity
Equality among different cultural communities
Group rights along with individual rights

Thinkers: Charles Taylor, Will Kymlicka.

Focus: Managing diversity in democracy — language, religion, ethnicity.

8. Postmodernism

Core Ideas:

Rejects universal truths or grand theories
Knowledge and truth are socially constructed
Emphasizes difference, pluralism, and identity

Thinkers: Michel Foucault, Lyotard, Derrida

Implication: Challenges Enlightenment ideals and traditional political ideologies.

📚 IV. Summary Table

Concept	Key Idea	Key Thinkers
Liberty	Freedom to act without restraint	J.S. Mill, Isaiah Berlin
Equality	Fairness in opportunities	Rousseau, Marx
Justice	Fair distribution and process	John Rawls
Rights	Claims protected by law	Locke, Bentham
Democracy	Rule by the people	Lincoln, Dahl
Power	Influence over others	Weber, Foucault
Citizenship	Membership with rights/duties	T.H. Marshall
Liberalism	Individual freedom	Locke, Mill
Conservatism	Value of tradition	Burke
Socialism	Social ownership	Marx, Owen
Marxism	Class struggle	Marx, Engels
Feminism	Gender equality	Wollstonecraft, Beauvoir
Ecologism	Human-nature harmony	Naess, Shiva
Multiculturalism	Cultural diversity	Kymlicka, Taylor
Postmodernism	Rejection of absolute truths	Foucault, Lyotard

November 4, 2025

Tag: UGC NET Political Science Notes

UGC NET Political Science – Unit 3: Indian Political Thought- MCQs

75 Topic-wise MCQs with Answers & Explanations

1. Dharamshastra Tradition

🦅 2. Kautilya (Chanakya)

🪶 3. Agganna Sutta (Buddhist Political Thought)

🕌 4. Ziauddin Barani

🌺 5. Kabir

👩‍🏫 6. Pandita Ramabai

🇮🇳 7. Bal Gangadhar Tilak

🕉️ 8. Swami Vivekananda

🕊️ 9. Rabindranath Tagore

✋ 10. M.K. Gandhi

🪔 11. Sri Aurobindo

⚖️ 12. Periyar E.V. Ramasamy

🌙 13. Muhammad Iqbal

🔨 14. M.N. Roy

🔱 15. V.D. Savarkar

⚖️ Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (1891–1956)

🇮🇳 Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964)

🟣 Ram Manohar Lohia (1910–1967)

🟢 Jayaprakash Narayan (1902–1979)

🟠 Deendayal Upadhyaya (1916–1968)

UGC NET Political Science – Unit 3: Indian Political Thought

Introduction

ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL INDIAN POLITICAL THOUGHT

1. Dharamshastra Tradition

🔹 Context:

🔹 Key Ideas:

🔹 Relevance:

2. Kautilya (Chanakya) – 4th Century BCE

🔹 Major Work: Arthashastra

🔹 Key Ideas:

🔹 Relevance:

3. Agganna Sutta (Buddhist Political Thought)

🔹 Source: Digha Nikaya (Buddhist canon)

🔹 Key Ideas:

🔹 Relevance:

4. Ziauddin Barani (14th Century)

🔹 Work: Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi, Fatwa-i-Jahandari

🔹 Key Ideas:

🔹 Relevance:

5. Kabir (15th Century)

🔹 Tradition: Bhakti Movement

🔹 Key Ideas:

🔹 Relevance:

6. Pandita Ramabai (1858–1922)

🔹 Background:

🔹 Key Ideas:

🔹 Relevance:

MODERN INDIAN POLITICAL THINKERS

7. Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856–1920)

🔹 Famous for: “Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it.”

🔹 Key Ideas:

🔹 Relevance:

8. Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902)

🔹 Key Ideas:

🔹 Relevance:

9. Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941)

🔹 Works: Nationalism, Gitanjali

🔹 Key Ideas:

🔹 Relevance:

10. M.K. Gandhi (1869–1948)

🔹 Major Works: Hind Swaraj, My Experiments with Truth

🔹 Key Ideas:

🔹 Relevance:

11. Sri Aurobindo (1872–1950)

🔹 Major Works: The Life Divine, The Ideal of Human Unity

🔹 Key Ideas:

🔹 Relevance:

12. Periyar E.V. Ramasamy (1879–1973)

🔹 Movement: Self-Respect Movement (Tamil Nadu)

🔹 Key Ideas:

🔹 Relevance:

13. Muhammad Iqbal (1877–1938)

🔹 Works: Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam

🔹 Key Ideas:

🔹 Relevance:

14. M.N. Roy (1887–1954)

🔹 Early Marxist, later Radical Humanist.