Political science in Lithuania

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Demokratija; Politikos mokslai; Politinė filosofija; Politinė sociologija; Politologija; Democracy; Lithuania; Political Science; Political philosophy; Political sciences; Political sociology.

ENPolitical science as a distinct field of study and research did not exist institutionally in Lithuania until the beginning of 1990s. The appearance and development of political science correlated in a consistent manner with the democratic changes in society and the reconstruction of state. The last decades of the development of the political science in Lithuania show a rise of the methodological reflection and the introduction of the new research methodologies. However, this development also exhibits signs of methodological fetishism. The methodology of sociology sometimes is considered as the only methodology of research in politics. Other perspectives of humanitarian political sciences are being marginalized. There is a discussion about sociological and humanitarian political science. This discussion is a repetition of the old quarrel between political science and political philosophy. The positive exception from the tendency of methodological fetishism can be found within the discipline of international relations. However, the representatives of international relations face a different problem. They lack consensus and a clear understanding of scientific method. Most of the problems of Lithuanian political science today are the same as those in the Western Europe. [From the publication]