Andrew Heywood in My Opinion,

Andrew Heywood

In my opinion, in order to best discern among the four definitions given for politic, we have to point out that politics can virtual have both a figurative and a realistic approach. According to whether the meaning is figurative or realistic, the degree to which the definition of politics encompasses different areas varies, from the political spectrum (real approach) to the public affairs spectrum (still real approach) to the private life (figurative approach and senses such as politics as compromise and consensus).

As such, in my opinion, the best definition of politics is that providing a meaning that limits politics to the spectrum of the public sector. In this sense, politics can be seen as the art of government and as public affairs.

The first notion, that of politics as the art of government, is perhaps the one providing the most realistic approach to what politics is all about. Politics in general is associated with a process of (1) electing the representatives of the people in governmental structure, (2) uniting ideas into coherent political platforms that can properly reflect the direction that respective party wishes to promote, (3) the existence of political entities, part of this mechanism etc. We do indeed have both a positive and a negative perspective associated to politics, from this perspective, as the capacity to rise as a representative of the people in the governmental structures is often associated with personal ambitions of reaching those levels.

Politics is not limited necessarily to the governmental sector, we can refer to politics when we discuss the art of government in the business sector as well. Indeed, the business sector is also an area where elections a small number of people are generally elected to serve the interests of a larger number of individuals and entities (referred to as the shareholders).

Following the explanations in the previous paragraph, we understand why the realistic approach to politics also covers politics as public affairs. Indeed, there are two important things to be emphasized here. First of all, the inclusion of the business sector in the public field means that the definition of politics as art of government applies there as well. Second, the distinctive separation of public and private sectors, with the private sector including the civil society and non-profit associations and organizations, where we can assume politics are non-applicable.

Even more so, the definition of politics according to the first and second definitions would entirely exclude the family, private life from, while definitions 3 and 4 will include virtually every possible aspect of life. In my opinion, it is important to see relations between individuals as being more than just simple political relations, because this type of relations automatically imply that every human relations has a final goal, a desiderate that the interlocutors wish to reach.