The struggle of facts and value in the politcal arena and its impact on the political system

Essay by narcoticzaxUniversity, Bachelor'sA, November 2003

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Recent findings suggest that active political participation correlates positively with factual knowledge about governmental and political practices. As for the study of politics or political systems which is one of the major division in social sciences, the practice of competent and effective problem-solving or more specifically the art of drawing out resolutions in human groups. Considering the study of politics as a science by itself means that it should be based on facts, which are the key elements to any given science. Nevertheless it's a "social" based science, which means the values are of a great importance in such a field as well.

Studying the political systems can not bypass any of the gates that lead to the realm of politics or what is beyond. Therefore considering politics as strict science based on postulates and formulas is like considering mankind as only the biological human. Besides that considering it a strict science could once more be refuted.

The fact is. The origin of political studies is derived from philosophy, which is in another word the search for a general understanding of values and reality. The wars offer a concrete example concerning the issue of separation between facts and values. Recent wars exhibited science's importance in policy, and made policy important in science. Or the impression that war reflects, that human life has small value, and other examples can be taken from past and contemporary dictatorships all around the world. The miss calculation or the error in mixing, of the value of the individual and the fact of the humanity is mainly the catalyst of harsh political decisions or wars. Therefore I think that facts and values can not be separated in the study of political systems or in the practices of politics. The facts should be set as untouchable standards,