Reviving Political Science or the Emergence of Social Policy

The present writing is a review of the book Ehaya-ye Olum-e Siyasi: Goftari dar Pisheh-ye Siasatgari by Hossein Bashiriyeh. This book, which as its writer has pointed out is based on his own theoretical reflections and inferences rather than research, starts with a discussion on ancient political science, and, while highlighting the necessity of reviving some of its elements in today’s political science, stresses that political science should be liberated from positivism. I would rather refer to what Bashiriyeh calls “the revival of political science” in modern times as the emergence of social policy: a social policy with a critical approach that follows the two goals of understanding the reality in order to bring about enlightenment and making social and political changes aimed at well-being and prosperity. In the first part of the present writing Bashiriyeh’s book will be introduced both structurally and formally and in the second part the content of the book will be examined and reviewed. In the latter part Bashiriyeh’s ideas and criticism directed at political science will be specifically examined at two levels: his criticism of the research methodology of political science, and his criticism of the aims and applications defined for political science. The important point in the present review is that what Bashiriyeh regards as the purpose of political science has been reread through the lens of social policy.