28 The Nature of Political Theoryit is not surprising that others saw the end of political philosophy—although this is
definitely not the orthodox reading of the death of political philosophy.
It might be contended against the above arguments that a sociology of professions
or disciplines does not necessarily affect thecontentof the disciplines. A sociology
of science neither affects the content of science, nor the importance of scientific
discoveries. In addition, if one allows the sociology thesis too much sway, then it
could be said to trivialize the whole discussion of theory. It could even, self-reflexively,
be said to destroy or undermine itself. There is some truth to these points. However,
in emphasizing the way a discipline has formed, trains its members, establishes its
criteria for publishing and teaching, we must be minimally aware of a ‘social dynamic’.
To deny it is simply naïve or myopic. It should neither be over-emphasized, nor should
it be avoided. It is not a sociological speculation, but a simple matter of historical
detail that political theory, as a specialized profession and academic discipline, is
a product largely of the twentieth century. It is also understandable that it should
try to create a past for itself. This gives it intellectual weight and gravitas, but we
should always view such claims with a critical eye. When academic political theory
rests contentedly on its institutional laurels and appeals to its own intrinsic academic
authority we should be sceptical.
Institutional Political Theory
The institutional approach, in its most direct sense, identifies the function of polit-
ical theory as articulating the meaning and practice of the state—that is both the
philosophical idea and constitutional legal practice of the state. The word that most
adequately describes this is the German termStaatslehre. The origin of this idea can
be found in philosophers such as G. W. F. Hegel and J. G. Fichte, within their various
Rechtsphilosophien.^6
Staatslehre, in its most direct sense, means that to learn about politics one has to
learn about the state, and to learn about the state means not only to account for its
various empirical and constitutional forms, but also to study the normative ideals
embodied within it. This form of study encompasses, by default, historical, legal,
and philosophical issues. In continental European, and some American contexts, the
juristic concept of the constitution was also connected closely with the state idea.
The German tradition ofStaatslehreconsequently fully accommodated the study of
constitutions as part of the more general study of the state. Thus, constitutional study
was seen as integral to the state idea. In fact, well into the twentieth century, French,
German, and Italian political studies have been closely linked with both legal and
historical studies. Thus,Staatslehre(in various shapes), quite simply, was the first
serious form in which the idea of political theory was practised in Europe, Britain,
and North America, as a sophisticated academic enterprise. However, one should be
very careful here not to distinguish too firmly between historical studies, law, and
political theory. In a similar way, it would also be mistaken, before 1900, to make
clear distinctions between highly autonomous disciplines of history, law, philosophy,