Zoon+Politikon

zoon politikon-Political Animal
**THE ESSENCE OF POLITICS** **1.** **Politics and Man** **2.** **What is Politics** **3.** **Decision making** **4.** **Essence of politics** **Politics and Man** Aristotle once made an assertion that man is by nature a political animal. He stressed the point that man engages in politics in almost every areas of his social life, whether consciously or unconsciously. According to him, politics is the very essence of our social existence, and the only way to achieve the highest social status in life. Thus, man’s interaction with his fellow man in the society is closely enmeshed in politics. Politics can be seen in the family which is the first contact or the cradle of social development. It is the first agent of political socialization. A child’s political ideology is largely influence by the family where he or she was born. Issues regarding the activities of government are usually discussed in the family and they frame a child’s perception to the government. The school is regarded as a breeding ground of politics or political life. It structures an individual’s political ideologies. In the school teachers and students are also concerned with the policies of the government as it affects the larger society. This is expressed through discourses in the class, seminars, conferences, symposiums and among peers. The church has played enormous influence over the affairs of the state in Europe for centuries, and in our contemporary world, religion still has a place in political sphere. Furthermore, in the market, the act of convincing a customer to buy goods or services and beating your competitors are political. Moreover, in the stock market, stockbrokers and other stakeholders are very much concerned with government policies because it influences trade in the stock market. Similarly, trade unions and labour unions are active participants in politics, as they have influence the policies of the government in a number of cases. Therefore, we can agree with Aristotle that man is inherently political. We are all political actors in various respects. That is, by participating through discussions formal or informal, vote during elections, attend meetings, conferences, seminars and even discussing with our peers, we wittingly or unconsciously hope to influence government decisions **What is Politics** Although politics is a universal activity, it has no concrete or a general definition like most concepts in the social sciences. It can be defined in various perspectives, which could be influenced by our contemporary environment. Every society is made up of people from different backgrounds or affiliations and thus has varied interests which are more often paradoxical. According Osaghae, politics begins where interest clashes. In this situation, people try to find their way out through divergent means such as persuasion, rational arguments, bribes, manipulation etc. This is politics exhibited at the micro level. At the macro level, democratic states manage conflicts through the establishments of a constitution which stipulates among other things guidelines on how individuals are to conduct themselves in the state. Most times democratic states, through their agencies such as the police, army etc, employ violence or the threat of it to ensure that conflicts does not ensue. Hence, the threat or actual use of violence is a key ingredient to political process. To this extent, politics can be defined as “ …. A process which seeks to manage or resolve conflicts of interest between people usually in a peaceful fashion.” In its general sense, it can be described as the interactions of any group of individuals but in its specific sense, it refers to many complex relationships which exist between state institutions and the rest of society. Osaghae also defined politics as a struggle among actors pursuing conflicting desires on issues to influence the authoritative allocation of values in terms of who get what when and how. As a result of the scarce resources inherent in the society, there is a constant struggle among actors on who controls and distributes these resources and who gets them irrespective of the means. These are all acts of politics. **Decision Making** Another basic feature of politics is decision making, which can take place at both micro and macro level. These basic elements are inevitable at both levels. These include: Interest, political actors and power. **Interest:** These are the things that you want. It may be finance, status, power, fame, justice, liberty, which might be contrary to the interest of others. Thus, there is power tussle on whose interest supersedes or overruns the other. **Political Actor:** these are the active or passive individuals involved in the power struggle. At the micro level, they could be your friends, parents, siblings, teachers, at the macro level, they includes the arms of government, unions, tiers of government, pressure groups, civil society etc **Power:** In politics power is the ability to influence the decision of others to act or refuse to act in a particular way. This can be exercise through violence or the threat of it, rewards, exercise of authority. At the micro level, power can be exercised by friends, parents, teachers or those in higher authority in our social settings. Power can also be exercised by subordinates when they obey rules, which prevents the application of coercion by those in authorities. A child may decide to obey family rules and regulations, in order to influence the decision of the parents in the event of request for rewards. At the macro level, the state can enforce obedience through violence or the threat of it, or rewards for compliance. Union can also exercise power on the state by obstructing government activities or compliance with the state in order to influence its decisions. **Authority:** it can be exercise by the state or other actors like the unions. While the government has authority from the constitution, the Unions have authority through the support of their actions by the populace. **Conclusion** The features identified above thus certify that politics affects us one way or the other. We are “either actors actively participating in decision making or we are subjects to the web of politics. Therefore, we can deduce that our society is highly politicized. That is, government inferring on issues of conflicting interest by groups. Careful utilization of politics can however enhance our personal freedoms. **References** Jone, B. ; Gray, A.; Karaugh, D.; Maron, M.; Norton,. P; Seldon, A.; (1991) Politics UK. Philip Allan, Cambrige University Press. Great Britain David Easton (1967) “An Approach to the Analysis of Political System” World Politics. Vol. 9 pp. 383-400. A framework for political Analysis. New jersey: Prentice Hall, 1905 Political System: An Inquiry into state of Political science 2nd ed New York: Alfred Knopf, 1971) p. 129 Osaghae, E. (1988) Political analysis. Reviewed by Idachaba, E. (2009) Ibadan: Distance ;Learning Center University of Ibadan, Nigeria.