Towards a Theory of Power and Political Instability in Latin America
| Date | 01 March 1956 |
| DOI | 10.1177/106591295600900103 |
| Author | Merle Kling |
| Published date | 01 March 1956 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
21
TOWARDS
A
THEORY
OF
POWER
AND
POLITICAL
INSTABILITY
IN
LATIN
AMERICA
MERLE KLING
Washington
University
1
‘ ‘
NE
MAY
consider
science,&dquo;
James
B.
Conant
has
observed,
&dquo;as
an
attempt ...
to
lower
the
degree
of
empiricism
or
to
extend
the
range
of
theory....
Almost
all
significant
work
of
scientists
today,
I
believe,
comes
under
the
heading
of
attempts
to
reduce
the
degree
of
empiricism.&dquo;
1
Despite
the
conception
of
science
and
theory
prevalent
in
the
natural
sciences
and
reflected
in
the
formulation
of
Conant,
the
discipline
of
political
science
has
yet
to
reject
decisively
the
notion
of
theory
as
an
aggre-
gation
of
metaphysical
speculations
unrelated
to
experience
and
practice.
Academically,
in
fact,
the
field
of
political
theory,
within
the
discipline
of
political
science,
traditionally
has
defined
its
role
as
recording,
with
varied
degrees
of
interpretation,
the
history
of
metaphysical
speculations
in
the
area
of
politics
and
the
state.2
But
&dquo;theorizing,
even
about
politics,&dquo;
as
Lasswell
and
Kaplan
correctly
assert,
&dquo;is
not
to
be
confused
with
meta-
physical
speculation
in
terms
of
abstractions
hopelessly
removed
from
empirical
observation
and
control.&dquo;
3
Within
a
scientific
framework,
consequently,
a
theory
of
power
and
instability
in
Latin
America
must
attempt
to
discharge
at
least
four
func-
tions.
(1)
An
adequate
theory
must
serve
&dquo;to
reduce
the
degree
of
em-
piricism&dquo; ;
that
is,
it
must
place
in
a
broad
and
meaningful
context
the
apparently
disconnected
manifestations
of
instability
in
Latin
America.
(2)
It
must
offer
generalizations
regarding
the
exercise
of
power
and
the
prevalence
of
instability
in
Latin
America
which
are
compatible
with
the
available
evidence.
(3)
It
must
offer
a
guide
and
provide
a
framework
for
relevant
research.
A
scientific
theory
neither
anticipates
every
future
event
nor
solves
every
practical
problem.
A
theory
with
scientific
pretensions,
however,
does
provide
directions
for
the
investigation
and
solution
of
subse-
quent
problems.
(4)
A
theory
of
Latin
American
instability,
if
it
is
to
1
James
B.
Conant,
Science
and
Common
Sense
(New
Haven:
Yale
University
Press,
1951),
pp.
58-59.
"Only
by
the
introduction
of
a
theoretical
element
can
the
degree
of
empiricism
be
reduced."
James
B.
Conant,
Modern
Science
and
Modern
Man
(New
York:
Columbia
University
Press,
1952),
p.
28.
2
For
a
systematic
expression
of
dissatisfaction
with
the
contemporary
state
of
theory
in
American
political
science,
particularly
its
"decline
into
historicism,"
see
David
Easton,
The
Political
System
:
An
Inquiry
Into
the
State
of
Political
Science
(New
York:
Knopf,
1953).
3
Harold
D.
Lasswell
and
Abraham
Kaplan,
Power
and
Society
:
A
Framework
For
Political
Inquiry
(New
Haven:
Yale
University
Press,
1950),
p.
x.
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