Politics, Philosophy & Economics Personal Statement Example 4

In a recent address to the Canadian Parliament, David Cameron made the comment that "This is not a traditional, cyclical recession. It's a debt crisis,". Although I am yet to align myself to a political party I find politics, economics and philosophy very interesting individually.

However it seems to me that considering these subjects together is where fascination lies. Dunoyer's, and later Marx's, theories of an alternating economic cycle tells us that the statement made by Mr Cameron is not economically true.

In 2007 the UK, along with much of the developed world, had been in a period of high economic growth for several years. So, it seems that we were, for lack of a better phrase, 'due' a recession. Although I'm not sure that we should be expecting a communist revolution any time soon, as was predicted in Das Kapital.

This is but one example of the significance that I believe Economics, Politics and Philosophy all have to almost every aspect of life. For me, Economics has already played a great part and has undoubtedly shaped the person I am today.

It was, for example, the reason that I moved to Dubai and it was living there through the height of the most recent financial crisis that sowed the seeds of what would develop into the passion for economics that I have today.

This period gave me a unique, exciting, and slightly scary perspective that made me understand the importance of economics and particularly the sheer vulnerability of any one person to events and circumstances completely out of their hands.

On a national level I take particular interest in government intervention and am fascinated by the debate over incentive vs. punishment which I first came across in the book ‘Freakonomics’.

I also take an interest in international economics and through regular reading of The Economist have developed a particular interest in the developing countries of Asia. Economic systems have fascinated me since I learnt about Communist Russia during my History GCSE so the emergence and evolution of China’s economy is something I pay particular attention to in current economic affairs.

Studying English Literature initially sparked my interest in philosophy and since then I have pursued my own reading into the subject. I found existentialist theories particularly interesting in terms of their effect on literature, and thus wider society, in the mid-20th Century and since then I have explored the theories of Machiavelli when observed in contrast to Aristotle and Plato.

I cannot cease to find myself surprised that the thoughts of men who lived hundreds, even thousands, of years ago are still utterly relevant to today’s society.

I have found the line between philosophy and politics to be a blurred one as I attempt to delve into political theory, however the majority of my interest in politics lies in current global affairs which I keep updated on through watching the news.

Last year, outside of school, I took part in the Young Enterprise Competition and the World Scholars Cup, in which I received a gold medal for economics.

These events helped me to improve my problem-solving and teamwork skills as well as allowing me to appreciate in practise, many concepts that I had learnt about in theory.

During this summer, I completed work experience at a ‘Big Four’ accountancy firm in Dubai and, conversely, a small HR company in London. Both placements, although very different, gave me valuable insights into the industries and the workplace in general.

In the past I have completed the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver Awards. The rigour of training for and completing the expeditions in the Arabian desert and Croatian mountains respectively gave me unique development on the skills of perseverance and teamwork. Instead of completing a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award this summer I opted to travel to Nepal with a volunteer organisation.

The trip was eye-opening and completely like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. Both the economic and political situation there is dire and the engagement with the local people that I experienced gave me insight into the situation like a book never could. The experience has sparked an interest in development and international economics which I hope to pursue in the future.