Explanatory Qualities of the Concept of “the Political” in Polish Political Science Research

The aim of this article is to look at “the political” as an explanatory category. “The political” is a concept naming a feature of political phenomena, which means that it belongs to the foundations of political sciences. It has a profound impact on the development and structure of knowledge of political phenomena. Moreover, it is also a significant research object among political scientists. Especially in recent years, the phenomenon and concept have been reworked in various dimensions, indicating the distinctiveness of the problem. This makes it possible to ask the question about the status of “the political” in relation to the explanatory function of political sciences. A working axis that would serve to explicate “the political” in Polish political science research, while at the same time systematising its complexity, comprises two levels: a subjective level and an objective level. The former should be understood as being strongly related to the researcher and their decisions. The latter is related to the object of cognition, the matter under examination.