Political Theory: Class 11 Political Science (NCERT)
NCERT's Class 11 Political Science textbook, Political Theory: freedom, equality, rights and other big ideas, connected to everyday life. Instead of memorising theories, learn to think for yourself, build clear arguments, and take part in public discussion with confidence.
Political Theory: An Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 · Start here
Political Theory: An Introduction
What politics really is, what political theory studies, and why it's worth studying for every citizen.
Sprint 1
What Is Politics?
Politics isn't just dirty tricks; it's how people live together and make decisions.
Sprint 2
The Scope Of Political Theory
How centuries of thinkers shaped the ideas in modern constitutions, and how those ideas keep changing.
Sprint 3
Thinking Like A Theorist: Socrates And Context
How Socrates tested everyday opinions, and why a word like equality means different things in different situations.
Sprint 4
Why Should We Study Political Theory?
Why political theory matters for every citizen, not just politicians.
Sprint 5
Review: Political Theory: An Introduction
Check the key ideas, and answer the textbook questions.
Freedom
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 · Start here
Freedom
What freedom means, which limits on it are fair, Mill's harm principle, and why free expression matters.
Sprint 6
The Ideal Of Freedom & Swaraj
Understand freedom as both the absence of external constraints and the presence of conditions to develop human potential, grounded in historical struggles.
Sprint 7
Constraints On Freedom
Recognize where constraints come from and why a society cannot exist without them.
Sprint 8
The Harm Principle
Apply J.S. Mill's Harm Principle to distinguish between justifiable and unjustifiable constraints on individual action.
Sprint 9
Negative And Positive Liberty
Distinguish between negative liberty ('freedom from') and positive liberty ('freedom to'), and understand their supporting ideologies.
Sprint 10
Freedom Of Expression
Understand why freedom of expression is considered an inviolable area of non-interference using J.S. Mill's four arguments.
Sprint 11
Chapter Review: Freedom
Synthesize and evaluate the different dimensions of freedom, the Harm Principle, and the balance between liberty and constraint.
Equality
Chapter 3
Chapter 3 · Start here
Equality
What equality really means, its political, social and economic sides, and how societies try to achieve it.
Sprint 12
What Is Equality?
Distinguish between identical treatment and equal opportunity, and differentiate natural from socially-produced inequalities.
Sprint 13
The Three Dimensions Of Equality
Understand political, social, and economic equality, and recognize that political equality alone is insufficient without the other two.
Sprint 14
Ideologies Of Equality
Compare and contrast Feminism, Marxism, Liberalism, and Socialism as distinct approaches to understanding and achieving equality.
Sprint 15
How Can We Promote Equality?
Understand the three steps to promoting equality: establishing formal equality, utilizing differential treatment, and implementing affirmative action (and the debates surrounding it).
Sprint 16
Review: Equality
Synthesize the dimensions, ideologies, and policy mechanisms of equality.