Who among the following advocated that the central idea of Political Science is power?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

RPSC 2nd Grade Social Science (Held on 17th Feb 2019) Official Paper

Answer 1

The correct answer is Max Weber.

Key Points The concept of power is one of the fundamental concepts of political theory.

The analysis of the nature of power in both socialist and capitalist societies is essential for understanding the nature of politics as well as the state.
A definition in “A Dictionary of Social Sciences” says: “Power in its most general sense denotes (a) the ability (exercised or not) to produce a certain occurrence or (b) the influence exerted by man or group, through whatever means, over the conduct of others in intended ways.”
This definition of power is deeply influenced by Max Weber’s famous formulation: “power signifies any capacity to work one’s will within given social relations even against opposition, independent of what that capacity is based on.”
This juridical conception of power was very popular among the western writers during the 1950s and 60s.
In other words, Max Weber advocated that the central idea of Political Science is power.