Introduction to the Study of Politics (PPSN03F)

Prepared by Raizza P. Corpuz

SW #1: What is the importance of (studying) Political Science?

OBJECTIVE ANSWER: The importance of studying political science lies in the fact that:1. All of us live within political systems and we are affected by the changes in the world politics or the global political economy. 2. With the advent of globalization, there has been a concomitant upsurge in the interest taken by the people of the world in understanding the political systems of other countries. 3. As a future political scientists we become valued not by the things we know but by the things we understand4. It is important to provide the lens through a diverse culture. 5. It deepen our own understanding and knowledge how the world works.6. The discipline teaches many skills, including critical thinking and analytical reasoning, which can be applied in many fields.  

According to Ayson and Reyes (2000)

Political Science is the study of state in all its elements, aspects, and relationships. 

a systematic study of politics, an attempt by systematic analysis to discover in the confusing detail whatever

principles may exist of wider and more general significance

Elements and Aspects of Political Science

1) government2) structures3) institutions through which the state functions

(1) certain aspects of human behavior, and (2) how governments and the people conduct themselves in a political society

Political Science also includes: The political attitudes of people and their leader The controversial issues and other aspects

concerning the States(a) Operation, (b) powers, and (c) functions The political theories and ideologies

POLITICS (Etymological definition)The word politics comes from the Greek word polis ,which means “city-

state.” Greek

The word politics has its origins in Ancient Greece.  All of the cities in Ancient Greece, such as Athens, Sparta, and Corinth, were referred to as city-states and the Greek word for a city-state was polis (πολις)

 Political science was first used by the father of Political Science Aristotle, a Greek philosopher who argued in favor of living a virtuous life.Political science in the ancient and medieval worlds was closely linked to philosophy and theology. It often consisted of advice for rulers on how to govern justly Latin

Politicus was an adjective that was used to describe anything “of the state”

Meaning of Politics according to Ellen Grigsby (2011)

Politics can be a realm of surprises and apparent contradictions.

As you study political science you may find that your conception of politics has been influenced by many factors.

For example, consider how differently you might view your life, your goals, and your attitudes about politics if you could be transported across the boundaries of identity, gender, nationality, age, and/or economic status.

EXAMPLE: CASE STUDY 1Tsutomu Yamaguchi. Mr. Yamaguchi was working in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the day the atomic bomb was dropped on the city. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima killed 140,000 people, but somehow he survived. Feeling profoundly fortunate to be alive still, he left Hiroshima and headed for his home, Nagasaki. On August 9, an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagaski and Mr. Yamaguchi, again, survived. One of perhaps more than 100 people to have survived two atomic bombs, Mr. Yamaguchi went on to become a teacher and to raise a family. It was only in his old age that he started speaking publicly about his life as a hibakusha (atomic bombing victim) and his views on nuclear war. Before his death in 2010, Mr. Yamaguchi stated that, in his opinion, the only people who should ever have the power to authorize the use of nuclear weapons were mothers with young children.

EXAMPLE: CASE STUDY 2 Try imagining your life as Dena al-Atassi. You were the

only Muslim in your high school in Bunnell, Florida. A daughter of a Syrian father and a U.S. mother, you received death threats for simply wearing a headscarf (hijab). Your stepmother stopped wearing her scarf out of fear of a backlash against all Muslims after 9/11. However, you find strength in following the example of Muslim women who wear the head covering and you pledge to never let your fear compel you to remove the hijab.

LET’S PONDER1. Why do you think Mr. Yamaguchi stated that, in his opinion, the only people who should ever have the power to authorize the use of nuclear weapons were mothers with young children?

2. If you were Dena al-Atassi are you still willing to pledge as a Muslim to never let your fear compel you to remove the hijab? Why?

CONCLUSION Thus, lets always remember political scientist David

Easton has observed: Politics involves change. In an increasingly interdependent world even those changes that appear essentially domestic in nature may resonate with international significance.

politics involves the choices governments make in shaping the process whereby medicine, water, food, housing, and jobs are made available or unavailable to the world’s people.

Indeed, politics encompasses all those decisions regarding how we make rules that govern our common life.

THUS, As the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle

taught, in essence, we are political creatures, inhabiting a world of shared problems and possibilities.

Political science seeks to analyze such complexities.

As you study political science you may find that your conception of politics has been influenced by many factors.

THANK YOU!References:

Florentino G. Ayson and Dolores Aligada Reyes, Fundamentals of Political Science, 2nd edition (Mandaluyong City: National Bookstore, 2000)

Ellen Grigsby, Analying Politics: An Introduction to Political Science, 2nd ed. (Australia: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002)