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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...
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Why politics matters?

We all know that politics runs through every segment of human life - be it food, health, education, entertainment, marriage, or even me writing this. The food we eat is taxed by the government. Health and education standards are set by the government. The money collected through taxes is spent on these services. Marriage-related provisions are also regulated by the government - the Hindu Marriage Act and the Special Marriage Act are examples.

Whatever we buy, we pay tax. Whatever we earn, we pay tax. Taxes are imposed and collected by the government to provide services and security to the people.

Despite that, we refuse to actively participate in politics. Hannah Arendt even goes to the extent of saying that the rise of leaders like Hitler and Mussolini happened because people stopped engaging in politics. It’s true - if you don’t tame the lion when it’s small, it becomes very difficult to handle when it grows big. Therefore, small checks are necessary for the government to function properly.

Moreover, we have given the right to govern ourselves to the government. That is a big thing. In a patriarchal Indian society, we are subservient to our fathers. In that setup, after a point, we get uncomfortable with authority - that of our father. Why, then, does the authority of the government not make us uncomfortable? Maybe because it affects all of us, and in that condition, we wait for others to speak. Authority of any kind must be consistently questioned.

Not only this, but political science as a discipline is also deeply embedded in our lives. For instance, today loneliness is spreading like a pandemic. One of the major reasons for this is the focus of the liberal world order on the individual, competition, and non-interference in one’s personal life. Capitalism has further taken the individual away from community and spirituality. Today, we want to come first and earn a lot. One of the solutions to this problem is provided by political science in the form of communitarianism.

Hence, the understanding of political science is important for everyone. It helps us understand how the whole political system functions. By understanding its functioning, we can identify areas of intervention, ensure a responsible government, and also find solutions to our daily problems.


Politics - used in the general sense as we use it. 

Political science - a subject 



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