Skip to main content

Why political science matters?

The meaning of political science is often restricted to the state, government, and everyday politics. However, it goes beyond that. We as humans share various relationships. What do we do when conflicts arise in these relationships? How do we resolve them? The Socratic dialectical method or Habermas’ idea of deliberation provides a solution. It says conflicts are better resolved through dialogue rather than domination. Hence, it tells us how to talk in a dialectical manner. It is the process of reasoning together. For instance, when your father asks you to aim for a government job, but you want to become a content creator, you do not totally oppose each other. Instead, you engage rationally: Why is a government job important? Maybe because it provides security and financial stability. But being a content creator might give you creative freedom. So you decide to take a government job but also start your creator journey simultaneously — maybe by vlogging your day as a government employee...
Post a Comment

Excess of information

Information overload
Source:  iStock


How many stars are there in the universe? How many hairs are on your head? One must have encountered these types of questions at some point in their life. I would add one more question in this category: how much information is available in the world? Certainly, as with all of the questions mentioned earlier, this is also a very difficult question to answer. If we were to measure it in terms of the memory unit, it would be billions of terabytes of data. It would be astronomical data. An excessive amount of information is already available and new information is produced every minute. If one were to print all the words available in digital form on paper, I believe even Amazon forest would not be sufficient for producing enough paper for the same. This is the amount of information we have at this time. It creates several challenges as well as opportunities for us as an individual and when we see ourselves vis-a-vis society and the state. 


A great deal of information has been produced that the question of what 'not' to read has become more important than what to read. In a broader sense, information has transcended its traditional role as knowledge and awareness-making. It is now deliberately produced to establish what Lyotard and Foucault call Discourse. One might dispute the fact that it is not only now but has always been the case. Even if there has always been a hidden agenda behind the information, the intensity with which it is being used now has never been used earlier. It is because of two reasons. One, there is excessive production of information in the present time. Second, because of the digital era's diversified way of fulfilling these agendas, one would never think that particular information was manufactured. Discourses are set by providing a particular set of information not only by the businesses but also by the state. Information is used to build a certain narrative that would benefit the political party by consolidating its position among the voters thereby ensuring their chance to acquire power in the elections. Information is not only manufactured to consolidate their own base but also to tarnish the image of their opponents. 


At the societal level, this information is used by companies to sell their products. Talking about the individual as a normal person who is creating information be it through blogs or YouTube is also producing such information with the intent to earn money. The production of information has become a way for people to earn money. When making money becomes the primary objective of the production of information, people will produce more and more information even if it is wrong or not needed.


Post-modernists would see it as a good thing where different ideas or sets of information can be put by different people. That means information does not come from only one source because a monopoly of anything is not a good thing. With people getting digital power they have also come to a position where they can put forward their point of view which gives birth to different kinds of narratives. Hence, there is very less chance of one grand narrative which would subdue all the other people's voices. Even if there is one it is short-lived. This seems like a positive thing for us as an individual because we are in a position where different kinds of information are available to us and we are at the liberty to choose whatever suits our rationality. Since Foucault said knowledge is power we can say that we all have become powerful. Informational excess has made the accessibility of information very easy and free that now anyone can do anything be it learning new skills, investing money or establishing their own business. Humans have the potential to enhance their agency as never before.


Excess of information also poses a very serious challenge as to how to know if the information we are consuming is not misinformation or disinformation. Disinformation is that information which is a fake information deliberately created to serve certain motives. Disinformation is different from misinformation where the false nature of the information is not deliberate. Both disinformation and misinformation have become a reason for unrest in society. Sometimes even leading to riot-like situations. Identification and elimination of d/misinformation have become very difficult tasks for tech companies. Though there have emerged some fact-checking platforms to deal with the issue, they are not sufficient enough to tackle the tremendous amount of d/misinformation available around us and the rate with which it spreads. Since there is so much availability of information that we can get information on almost any topic and also about the opposite of it. Most of us have a subconscious bias toward almost everything. Hence if we are searching about anything and we find results that satisfy our subconscious bias we end up believing it without taking a look at the other side. This helps us create or strengthen our agenda without looking at the full picture which is not a good thing.


We have been exposed to a lot of information that it has become difficult for us to handle. It is often termed as information overload. Information with a blend of d/misinformation is posing a serious threat to humanity. We have not been taught how to search about something or about the sensitivity of the information. Unlearning is a difficult process. The earlier we start educating about this sensitive matter the better it would be. Otherwise, this boon of information will soon turn into a curse. 



 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Escape

The word escape doesn’t seem to have a very negative origin. It originally meant to set oneself free. It should not be seen as an act of cowardice. The qualitative aspect of escape should inform our judgment. In moments of mental crisis, someone’s escape might be spirituality; for someone else, it could be alcohol. These patterns of escape slowly become habits. With repeated events, our body naturally starts craving the same escape in moments of discomfort. For instance, if someone has chosen isolation as an escape, then whenever a crisis occurs, the body automatically starts demanding isolation. This is why such patterns are difficult to break–because escape sets one free. It provides an alternative way out. The body doesn’t perceive escape as an end in itself; it sees it merely as a means to get away from the current situation. I believe this is the reason behind large-scale alcohol addiction in Indian villages. Based on my limited understanding of Indian villages–especially those in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Exclusion

  The very foundation of some of the major problems that persist in our society is built on the bedrock of exclusion - be it biases, stereotypes, discrimination, or any other practice that degrades others. This makes it important for us to question: why do people exclude in the first place? The idea of exclusion often germinates from the desire to stand out or appear unique. We crave being seen as distinct, not just like any other person. For instance, when we go shopping for clothes, we consciously avoid those that are widely sold. We often say, “everyone wears that.” Maybe we’re comfortable with the broader pattern but not the exact color or design - because we want to stand apart. Hence, we exclude certain colors or styles to create our own distinct identity. While this kind of exclusion in fashion may seem harmless, it reveals a deeper psychological pattern that, when applied to social groups, becomes dangerous. Over time, we begin to associate certain styles with people we don...
Post a Comment
Read more

Might is right

  Might Is Right “Justice is the interest of the stronger” replies Thrasymachus, answering the question asked by Plato, what is justice? The same goes with might is right. The meaning of this proverb is that the powerful are always right. Although might is right its reverse isn’t correct which is right is might. So might is always right but right is always not might. Which means the weak can also be right. Might is right not because it is right but because of their power and position, no one can object to that. So whatever the mighty says is considered right. We will try to discuss it further by starting from the individual level and ending at the international level.  At the individual level, some people are stronger and mighty. For example, there are two people one who is very powerful both connection-wise and physically. If you indulge in a fight with him/her, not even a fight if s/he is doing something wrong you can’t do anything. And our not objection to that particular a...
Post a Comment
Read more