KAUTILYA’S ARTHASHASTRA: MODERN ACTUALIZATION OF NON-EUROPEAN POLITICAL THOUGHT

Abstract

Kautilya’s Arthashastra is one of the oldest and most systematic treatises on political philosophy that was formed within the framework of the Indian tradition and offers an alternative to Western political thinking. The results of the study show that Arthashastra’s ideas remain relevant for modern theories of public administration, corporate management and international relations. They offer alternative approaches to strategic planning, governance ethics, and economic policy that can be useful in the context of globalization. In addition, the analysis highlights the importance of the text for decolonizing political thought and finding non-Western development models. The treatise covers several topical units: internal governance, economic control, intelligence, law, foreign policy (the well-known Mandala principle) and governance ethics. Arthashastra combines pragmatism with moral principles, offering a unique model of effective but controlled power. In modern conditions, these ideas take on a new meaning. As an interest in non-European traditions of state thinking is growing, especially in the context of global decolonization of knowledge. The reinterpretation of Kautilya’s teachings is relevant both for analyzing modern Indian politics and for a broader understanding of the principles of realism, governance and security in the world outside the Western paradigm. The main task is to study the political philosophy of Kautilya’s Arthashastra, outline its main topical units, and determine how these ideas are reinterpreted in the context of modern politics. The study is based on a set of methods, including historical and philosophical analysis, political methodology (in particular, the theory of political realism and neo-institutional analysis), content analysis of texts, comparative method and interdisciplinary approach. The results of the study show that Arthashastra is not only a historical document, but also a valuable source of practical ideas for modern society. Its study contributes to expansion of scientific discourse, integrating classical Indian thought into global political and economic theories.