'Political Science'

What is it we hope to learn from 'political science'? It would be best to examine the term itself to get a better understanding of what it is we are studying. Unfortunately, dictionaries tend to give a vague definition of the terms. The words "of or pertaining to..." appear in the definition; which gives us no understanding of 'political science.' So, a deconstruction of the language seems to be in order.

First, we should examine the term 'political.' If we separate one term from the other it will be easier to understand how and what we are looking at. The 'what' would be anything political. The term 'political' pertains to 'government.' By 'government' we refer to that which presides over the masses of a civilisation. We know that there is some political procedure, and it usually seeks to enforce laws on the masses, through those procedures. By understanding 'political' as 'pertaining to government' we are still left with a vague definition of the term 'political science.' But, by examining what 'political' stands in relation too, 'science,' we will better understand the discipline of 'political science.'

The term 'science' usually refers to the observation of the laws of nature. The different fields of science refer to the observation of the laws in those particular fields. Science entails an objective view of the thing being studied. A scientist strips away all of his or her own prejudices and derives conclusions from his or her observations.

Then 'political science,' if I am not mistaken in my definitions, should refer to an objective investigation of how government controls and manipulates, through its own procedures, the masses of a civilisation. But, I feel 'political science' does not examine these processes in an objective manner. Of course, by looking at particular legal cases we understand how the process of a government work, but there are no natural laws in government, only man made laws. Typically when we study something man made we call it an 'appreciation,' for example 'art appreciation.' 'Political Science' means nothing, the two terms are not synonymous and therefore are non-sequitor. I propose the new title 'Political Appreciation,' for all those students who want to join the powerful minority that ever increasingly tries to take away the freedom of the masses.