Archive for July, 2011

Student Participation in Politics

Nowadays it is very common to find students actively involving themselves in politics. Many students have even pledged allegiance to different political parties. What are the short-term implications and long-term effects of this participation in politics by students?

A primary distinction must be made here between politics as active participation in political movements and the study of political science. The latter is an academic subject and involves the study of the administrative systems of different countries, the formation of political parties, different judiciary systems, etc. Political science, therefore, is a theoretical study of political systems. Politics means the formation of political parties and their active participation in the administration of a country. This involves organizing political meetings, canvassing for elections and the manipulation of people for political gains.

The participation of students in politics has certain drawbacks. The main occupation of students should be the pursuit of their respective courses of study. All their time and energy should be used in this activity. It is only in this way that they can secure their own individual futures and thereby safeguard the future of the nation. Participation in politics means a huge waste of this precious time and energy.

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Contrasting Plato and Aristotle

This is especially true amongst the over 30 thousand Protestant sects of Christianity that exist in America today. Only the Catholics have managed to preserve any amount of Aristotle, and that is through St. Thomas Aquinas.

There are many differences between these two giants of philosophy. I will first briefly summarize the differences in their approaches to metaphysics and epistemology, before moving on to my main topic: the contrast in their political philosophy.

Metaphysics and Epistemology

In the realm of metaphysics for example, we have Plato’s shadows on the wall of the cave symbolizing the perceived world as an illusion created by the senses. This is in stark contrast to Aristotle’s objective view of reality in his “A is A,” symbolizing the idea that reality is what it is, as it is, rather than merely a shadowy representation of some truer reality.

In the science of epistemology, we have the Platonic journey out of the cave into the other world through revelation, in contrast with Aristotle’s science of logic as the tool of reason for acquiring knowledge of reality. Plato was a mystic and therefore set his metaphysical standard as the unknowable other-world, and revelation as his epistemological guide through the magical world of ideas in themselves – justice in itself, the good in itself, etc. This reality that we all live in, according to Plato, is nothing other than an illusion, a mere shadow of the actual reality that lies beyond our normal understanding.

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A Fitting Career For the Current Times – Political Psychology Degree

We have currently embarked on some exciting political times. You can’t escape it – it’s everywhere you look. With so much discussion on the future political developments, goals for the new president and the team that will support him, can we really talk about anything else? If you have become interested in politics but don’t really know how to bank on that interest, consider a degree in political psychology. Is there really such a degree, you may ask. Yes, actually there is!

Political psychology degree programs prepare you for the application of contemporary psychological theories, concepts, and methods to the study of political behavior. This field is based on the study of both psychology and political science. If you like both areas of study, you don’t have to pick and chose. A degree in political psychology combines these two fields perfectly.

Political Psychology Degree Programs

The majority of degree programs in this area focus heavily on traditional areas in social psychology such as the field of attitudes, emotions, affect and group interaction. They also incorporate the areas of memory, cognition and decision making. In this type of program you will focus on the structure of political beliefs and attitudes, the processing of information, factors that influence political decisions and judgments. To accomplish this task you will learn to utilize empirical research, experimenting as well as survey research.

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