What is politics?
A man is a "political animal" because he is a social creature with the power of speech and moral reasoning:
Hence it is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature a political animal. And he, who by nature and not by mere accident is without a state, is either above humanity, or below it; he is the ‘Tribeless, lawless, heartless one,’ whom Homera denounces—the outcast who is a lover of war; he may be compared to a bird which flies alone.
~ Aristotle
As the opening quote of this essay suggests, humans are political beings by nature, they have always had different views and different needs. For these reasons, we understood each other and understand each other much better with people who had similar views and needs to ours. Especially when we realise that the world of politics is difficult to understand in many ways. It is distinguished by a huge dynamic of events, which means that being up to date requires a lot of commitment. It is also guided by his own rules, which may seem completely unclear to the average person. Ultimately, politics is a tool for gaining and exercising power, and power is one of the mightiest motives for human behaviour. Political science is an interdisciplinary science because it has always been under of Theological, Philosophical, Sociological, Psychological consideration. Political science is related to all these sciences. There is no clear line between where politics begins and ends. Some things in life turn into political ones, and in some cease to be political – moving politics into non-political spheres. (Heywood, 2013)
The history of politics is practically as long as the history of mankind. Its roots in the Western tradition are usually individualized in the works of Plato and Aristotle, above all in the Republic and Politics respectively. Plato and Aristotle made an in-depth analysis of the configuration of the state as a unique element of power for others - as power is the central part around which politics revolves - Its foundation, regulations, constitutions, organization, uses, and customs are not regulated... All these elements affect human behaviour in a general way. For both Plato and Aristotle, only in a politically well-organized society can the individual find true happiness. (Heywood, 2013) For Plato, the functioning of the State is synonymous with the functioning of the human soul. The soul consists of three parts: rational, spiritual, and appetitive Thus the state consists of three parts: the ruling class, corresponding to the rational part of the soul; auxiliary, corresponding to the spiritual part; and the production class, corresponding to the appetitive part. Therefore, according to Plato, the three most important concepts or research categories of political science are power, state, and politics. Aristotle emphasized the relationship between the individual and the state even more than Plato. He believed that in our biological constitution there is involvement in social life and only in a well-managed society can we fully realize ourselves as people. The Renaissance was a breakthrough in thinking about politics, especially the doctrine of Niccolò Machiavelli with its central idea "the end justifies the means”. (Heywood, 2013) : (oll.libertyfund.org, 2013) The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries are the period of great theoreticians of the liberal state (John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau) remaining in constant dispute with earlier theoreticians of "enlightened absolutism" (Thomas Hobbes – creator of the concept of "war of all against all", Charles Louis Montesquieu – author of the concept of separation of powers). During the Great French Revolution, the main political ideologies (liberalism, conservatism, socialism) were born. The basis of modern definitions of politics are the theories of Max Weber, who claimed that politics is the desire to participate in power or to influence the distribution of power, either between states or within the state, between the groups of people that make up the state. Max Weber wrote a dissertation entitled Politics as a Vocation. In almost every set of activities that define our role in social life, our activity in this area, there are these two elements: profession and vocation. In different proportions, however. First, the profession must be learned, certain rigors related to its performance must be observed. Admission to this exercise is often determined by demonstrating certain qualifications. Weber created the theory of power and politics, the concept of the state, the concept of formal democracy, the concept of bureaucracy. In the literature, politicians, and administrative officials, including diplomats, are sometimes included in the category of public officials. They should be guided by certain common rules of conduct, adhere to the same values. At the same time, however, their roles or duties of state are not identical, and therefore neither are the duties of ethical norms. To grasp these differences, it seems necessary to consider the nature of the tasks and responsibilities incumbent on these two groups. And here the issue of politicians does not seem to give rise to major difficulties. It is a profession: requiring specific skills, having established rules and standards of operation. According to Weber, one either lives "for" politics or "with" politics. As a rule, they occur rather together, at least in the ideological sense, but mostly also in the material sense. For someone who lives "for" politics, it is internally his whole life. "Politics" as a profession is lived by those who try to make it a steady source of income. (www.studysmarter.us, 2013)
Political science today is primarily of theoretical importance, contributing to the development of science in its field and in related fields. However, it also has practical significance, providing analysis for both the rulers and the governed. Political scientists then act as an expert, advising governments and political parties. (Heywood, 2013)
Why do we study politics?
Political science is first and foremost the science of power and how power is gained. How it is divided between different players, how it is forged and how it is played. Political scientists understand the relationships that arise between the actors of the political process, they can read them, orient themselves in them and, to some extent, predict them. (Heywood, 2013)
Another reason to study political science is that it has a wide range of fields. Some are highly theoretical, including political philosophy, political economy, or government history; others are mixed in nature, such as human rights, comparative policy, public administration, political communication, and conflict processes; Finally, some branches actively engage in the practice of political science, such as community-based learning, urban policy, and presidential and executive policy. Given the diversity and versatility of this type of study, we can find political science graduates practically everywhere. e.g., in various spheres of the public and private sector – in the field of state administration, security, media, consultancy, educational activities and so on. Politics has always been inextricably linked to economics: when new governments and new policies are established, new economic arrangements are directly involved or follow shortly thereafter. Political science studies therefore require an understanding of the basic principles of economics. Similar considerations can be made regarding the relationship between politics and law. If we add that we live in a globalized world, it becomes obvious that political science necessarily requires a global perspective and the ability to compare political, economic, and legal systems around the world. (Gamble, 2019)
Who is a political scientist, and should he be politically neutral?
A political scientist is primarily a person specializing in analysing the processes taking place in politics. Although the term political scientist can also be described in relation to graduates of similar studies, which also deal with the subject of politics. That kind of person is a theoretician, so when a politician sits in a government, a political scientist develops theories about the mechanisms governing the political environment. A political scientist is a person who knows all the issues that relate to politics. He is, or at least should be, an objective, impartial person who also knows law and economics. That is why he often acts as an expert in television programs, interviews, or news. He provides a comment on the current political situation in the country. (Heywood, 2013)
The tasks of a political scientist include analysing the current situation in the country and in the world. This person, thanks to his knowledge and experience, can explain processes and phenomena related to politics. It also explains how they affect society. The exact scope of duties of a political scientist depends on his place of employment. He can for example, conduct research on political systems or collaborate with politicians. (Leung, 2023)
The figure of a political scientist plays the role of both an investigation and an intervention. It should be noted that a political scientist is not a politician, a speech writer, or any position he or she recalls. In accordance with the role entrusted to the political scientist, he must adhere to objective and impartial research in his field, without interference that corresponds to the specific interests of pressure groups, political parties, or other possible groups in power. Political reality should be the subject of research of a political scientist, as well as solving tendencies that can be given to this reality. He deals with determining problems occurring in politics, social moods related to governments, influences the image of the organization he represents, takes part in election campaigns. The key issue in his work is the analysis of the political situation and the mechanisms that create it. (Leung, 2023) The political scientist works mainly in offices, often has contact with books, documents, visits libraries or universities. A big part of his job is to communicate with other people. He gives speeches, writes texts. The work requires him to take notes, analyses, share his forecasts with others. The profession of a political scientist is primarily of a social nature, as a specialist he often has contact with other people, travels between different organizations to conduct speeches. Students of political science and experts on political topics are extremely necessary for society. They play an informative and educational role. In principle, they should be politically impartial, careful observers of the political scene who conduct constructive criticism and rather than fundamentally take the side of a specific political party or ideology. Students of political science on the other hand support both rulers and citizens in the analysis, understanding and shaping of political phenomena. Preparation for this role is possible thanks to the development of appropriate competences and skills during studies. (Leung, 2023)
Should teachers and students approach the study of politics in a neutral manner?
Nothing prohibits a student of political science from having political views, which, for example, can express through his participation in parliamentary, local, or presidential elections, but public speeches during street demonstrations, or participation in meetings of political parties strongly undermines their political neutrality. Probably one of the most argumentative debates about the nature of political science is whether teachers and students are or are not able to entirely neglect their own moral and philosophical values when researching and imagining on subjects that closely refer to their interests in politics. It is important therefore, to distinguish the concept of political neutrality from the concept of being apolitical. Political neutrality can be described as independence from any political party, not entangled in the current political game or permanent ideological and systemic conflicts. A politically neutral person cannot, by definition, be determined in any way in his actions by his own political, religious, or ideological convictions. At the same time, he represents independence from informal party influences, party pressures and politicians themselves. Apoliticism, meanwhile, can be understood as an attitude of indifference or even aversion to current political issues consisting in the rejection of participation in political life, which manifests itself, for example, in not participating in elections or referendums or abandoning activities related to politics. It is lack of interest in politics, lack of feeling the need for political identification, lack of readiness for one's own participation in political life. (Heywood, 2013) ; (West, 2021)
There is a belief that school should be apolitical, but this does not seem to be entirely true. Science and teaching are not free from politics, and they will not be. Decisions on which research the money will go are often political, decisions about what will be included in the core curriculum and what will be removed from them are also a political decision of a group of people with specific political views. Of course, school should not be a place of party agitation, but teachers should not remain silent on matters of politics either. Why? It's simple. The role of the teacher is to educate, to supplement the lack of knowledge, to distinguish truth from lies. Perhaps this is one of the most important opportunities to sow the seeds of critical thinking in a young person's mind which makes possible to distinguish truth from falsehood and good from evil. It allows to verify facts, adapt the acquired knowledge to specific situations in life. Through critical learning, everyone can reach their full potential. Teacher helps you realize that the world is not as simple as the so-called "street" thinks. On the street, everything becomes simple. There is a crowd of equal people. Someone throws a catchy slogan that we like, we start shouting it. Someone presents us with a simple vision of the world, where the number of factors influencing the decision is limited to a minimum, because why think about complicated consequences. (https://www.studocu.com, 2013) ; (West, 2021) This happened in Germany in the 30s, in Eastern Europe in the post-war period. Does a teacher, a representative of one of the best-educated professions, not have the right to speak in the debate? Does he not have the right to convince his students of the scientific vision of the world and the associated politics that does not reject science? Can't he show that it's all more complicated than they say on the street and at home? All conversations about what is happening in the country and in the world do affect young people, their families, life, and future career opportunities are, in my opinion, the quintessence of education. (West, 2021)
Rousseau – to give one example - believed that the proper task of the educator was to create conditions in which the child would not lose his natural goodness and would learn to coexist with others. For the realization of these delineations, it is necessary to know about man, which It allows you to understand the rules of community functioning, and thus predict its actions. (Heywood, 2013)
"Plants are shaped by cultivation and men by education. ... We are born weak, we need strength; we are born totally unprovided, we need aid; we are born stupid, we need judgment. Everything we do not have at our birth and which we need when we are grown is given us by education."
~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau
For this reason, the school should not be apolitical, and the role of the teacher should include explaining phenomena and processes taking place in politics. And just like students of political science, they should not agitate and take the side of a particular political party or ideology. However, they should encourage participation in the political life of their community. Both teachers and students should focus primarily on creating conditions for constructive debate during which they could be able to raise, recognize, and complement their policy knowledge.
Bibliography
Gamble, A. (2019). What is the point of studying politics. In A. Gamble, Politics: why is it matter (pp. 63-97). Medford: Polity press.
Heywood, A. (2013). Politycs. New York: Palgrave Mcmillan.
https://www.studocu.com. (2013, March 28). Retrieved from https://www.studocu.com/en-gb/document/university-of-strathclyde: https://www.studocu.com/en-gb/document/university-of-strathclyde/politics-and-international-relations-1a-concepts/objective-study-of-politics/6058948
Leung, T. W. (2023). Political Education: Controversial Issues, Neutrality . Hong Kong : Hong Kong Institute of Education.
oll.libertyfund.org. (2013, April 20). Retrieved from oll.libertyfund.org/quote/aristotle: https://oll.libertyfund.org/quote/aristotle-insists-that-man-is-either-a-political-animal-the-natural-state-or-an-outcast-like-a-bird-which-flies-alone-4thc-bc
West, C. (2021, February 02). https://hechingerreport.org/should-teachers-be-apolitical/. Retrieved from https://hechingerreport.org: https://hechingerreport.org/should-teachers-be-apolitical/
www.studysmarter.us. (2013, April 19). Retrieved from https://www.studysmarter.us/explanations/politics/political-ideology/max-weber/: https://www.studysmarter.us/explanations/politics/political-ideology/max-weber/