Philosophy and Politics Personal Statement Example 3

After reading several books with political and philosophical themes (such as 'Animal Farm'/'1984' by George Orwell and 'Guns Germs and Steel' by Jared Diamond) I came to realise the power and implications of ideology and belief, and found myself with a desire to learn more.

This curiosity on the subject of political ideology lead me to seek out information and discussion wherever I could find it, eventually leading me to political debate forums, where I continued to learn and began to formulate my own ideas.

My focus soon began to widen as I realised the intrinsic link between political theory and philosophy. Philosophy has shaped the foundations of human life and thought. The importance of philosophic enquiry can be traced from the beginning of civilization to the heart of modern society, and as such is inseparable from the management of society, i.e. politics.

In my exploration of philosophy, the Enlightenment, and all it's historical, sociological, political and philosophical significance has been of particular interest to me as have ancient Greek and Buddhist thought.

Thomas Paine's 'Rights of Man', 'A Treatise of Human Nature' by David Hume and 'Ishmael' by Daniel Quinn are works that, among others, have been the most absorbing works I have read and I remain keen to explore other writers and schools of thought.

I strive to keep up to date with current events through the Media in both Europe and abroad, as well furthering my knowledge of the political ideologies and sociological and philosophical explanations behind them.

My interactions with people of other countries via the internet and my family ties to France as well as the UK, have, I feel, given me a wider scope of knowledge and experience of both ideology and political institutions and processes as well as reinforcing my views on the importance of politics at every level.

Outside of philosophy and politics I hold a strong passion for music and poetry, and pursue this through the band my friends and I started. As well as furthering my interest in music and simply being enjoyable, the band has also provided additional financial income. Furthermore, I currently work 11 hours a week in a supermarket.

These have given me not only a sense of financial independence but increased my work ethic and timekeeping (two things I could undoubtedly do with improving), and helped me manage myself more independently as I approach an age were independence is key. Recently, I have taken my interest in politics to a more active level, through helping with the work of the pressure group 'NO2ID'

The incredible intricacy and depth of both politics and philosophy means I continue to learn more without ever losing interest. My interest in both subjects remains unabated and I continue to read and learn outside of College.