What Drove Me to Political Science?

My name is Felishka Ramirez, and I am currently a Junior. At 17 years old I went into the military and travel to many countries such as Bahrain, Japan, and many more. After these deployments, I came back to college. Like many other students, I was confused and unsure where I would fit in, especially when it came to deciding my major. I took many different courses to see which field spoke the most to me. Therefore, I struggled to find a place of belonging when it came to my background and experiences.

 Through trials and tribulations, I found my sense of belonging in Political Science. Luckily, I ended up taking a global politics course which educated me on the world around us. Throughout this course, my knowledge expanded on philosophers, policies, and international relations. I grew fond of many different philosophers when it came to political policies. The preferred philosopher that I relate closely to in mind set would be John Locke. He was an advocate and wrote essays on the idea of freedom of belief. Many of his ideas are tied to the natural rights citizens have in the world. Locke argues that a states government is obliged to serve the citizens' wants and needs. As we look around the world today this isn't’t true in most countries, but it is a matter of trying to change that.

However, his ideas were challenged like many of ours. Another philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, believed that totalitarian ideologies were fine in a monarchy. This was due to the fact that he believed that a rule with power can keep order in a state. Whereas without a monarch or government chaos would arise due to a human’s state of nature. Locke didn't’t argue the fact that without a government society would be a state of nature. He argued that it would have been more peaceful. But, with a government in the state, there are alienable rights that shouldn't’t be taken away, defeating the point of becoming a society. This showed me that he believes that there should be diversity whether it be religion or mindset. Not to mention human rights.

All over the world, we see human rights violations even in our own state. After, learning about John Locke, it showed me that this was an ongoing issue even in the 17th century. In our state today, we see this happening as well. I would like to change that by helping and studying social issues that we might face in our world now and in the future. This field is not for robots, it is for those who think about the past, present, and future. I want to make a difference. You can make a difference too. Find your sense of belonging in Political Science.