What Is Politics

What is "Politics"
Author(s): Giovanni Sartori
Source: Political Theory, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Feb., 1973), pp. 5-26
Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/191073
Accessed: 13/10/2009 12:35
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR 's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR 's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use.
Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=sage. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [e-mail].

Sage Publications, Inc. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Political Theory.

http://www.jstor.org

WHAT IS "POLITICS"
GIOVANNI SARTORI
Universita di Firenze

HE CONCEPT"POLITICAL CIENCE"derives its meaning
S
from the interplay of two variables: (1) the state of the organizationof knowledge, and (2) the degree of structural differentiation within the frameworkof human collectivities.
With. respect to the first variable, the notion of science makes little sense-or at least no precise sense-unless there exist division and specialization in the cognitive endeavor. Thus, it does not make much

References: ABBAGNANO, N. (1969) "Machiavelli politico." Rivista di Filosofia 60: 5-23. ALBERTINI, M. (1963) Politica e altri saggi. Milan: Giuffre. ARON, R. (1962) Dix-huit leqons sur la societ6 industrielle. Paris: Gallimard. BARKER, E. (1951) Principles of Social and Political Theory. New York: Oxford Univ BRYSON, G. (1945) Man and Society: the Scottish Enquiry of the Eighteenth Century BURCKHARDT, J. (1908) Grieschische Kulturgeschichte. Berlin and Stuttgart: W. CARLYLE, A. J. and R. W. CARLYLE (1903-1936) A History of Medieval Political Theory in the West New York: Barnes & Noble. CASSIRER, E. (1911) Das Erkentnissproblem in der Philosophie und Wissenschaft der neueren Zeit CHIAPPELLI, F. (1952) Studi sul linguaggio de Machiavelli Florence: Le Monnier. COTTA, S. (1953) Montesquieu e la scienza della societa Turin: Ramella. CRICK, B. (1962) In Defense of Politics. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press. CROPSEY, J. (1957) Polity and Economy: An Interpretation of the Principles of Adam Smith DAHL, R. A. (1963) Moder Political Analysis. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: PrenticeHall --- (1956) A Preface to Democratic Theory DAHRENDORF, R. (1971) "Sociologia e societa industriale," in Uscire dall 'utopia. DURKHEIM, E. (1953) Montesquieu et Rousseau precurseurs de la sociologie. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France. EASTON, D. (1965a) A Framework for Political Analysis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ.: Prentice-HalL --- (1965b) A Systems Analysis of Political Life. New York: John Wiley. FUSTEL DE COULANGES, N. D. (1885) La citi antique. Paris: Hachette. GARGANI, A. (1971) Hobbes e la scienza. Turin: Einaudi GENTILE, F GIERKE, 0. (1900) "Das Deutsche genossenschaftsrecht," abridged in F. W. HOBBES, T. (1829-1845) The English Works of Thomas Hobbes. London: Molesworth. HUBERT, R. (1923) Les sciences sociales dans l 'encyclop6die. Paris: Travaux et memoires de l 'universite de hille. JAEGER, W. (1945) Paideia. New York: Oxford Univ. Press. DE JOUVENEL, B. (1963) The Pure Theory of Politics. Cambridge, Eng.: Cambridge Univ KENDALL, W. (1941) John Locke and the Doctrine of Majority Rule. Urbana: Univ. (1937) The Growth of Political Thought in the West. New York: Cooper .--Square. McILWAIN, H. (1958) Constitutionalism: Ancient and Modern. Ithaca, N.Y.: Corell Univ --- (1939) Constitutionalism and the Changing World [261 POLITICALTHEORY / FEBRUARY 1973 ---(1937) MATTEUCCI, N. (1970) "Nicolo Machiavelli politologo." Rassegna Italiana di Sociologia: 169-206. OLSCHKI, L. (1969) "Machiavelli scienziato." II Pensiero Politico 2: 509-535. PASSERIN D 'ENTREVES, A. (1951) Natural Law. London: Hutchinson. PASSIGLI, S. (ed.) (1971) Potere e elites politiche. Bologna: I1Mulino. POLIN, R. (1953) Politique et philosophie chez Thomas Hobbes. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France. SABINE, G. H. (1961) A History of Political Theory. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.. SARTORI, G. (1969) "From the sociology of politics to political sociology," in S. M. --- (1965) Democratic Theory. New York: Frederick A. Praeger. SASSO, G. (1967) Studi su Machiavelli Naples: Morano. -(1958) Niccolb Machiavelli Naples: Istituto Italiano per gli studi storici SOMBART, W STOPPINO, M. (1964) "Osservazioni su alcune recenti analisi della politica." I1 Politico 29: 880-905. STRAUSS, L (1952) The Political Philosophy of Hobbes. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press. ULLMANN, W. (1961) Principles of Government and Politics in the Middle Ages. URBANI, G. (1971) L 'analisi del sistema politico. Bologna: I1Mulino. WIRSZUBSKI, Ch. (1950) Libertas. Cambridge, Eng.: Cambridge Univ. Press. WOLIN, S. S. (1960) Politics and Vision: Continuity and Innovation in Western Political Thought Boston: Little, Brown.