In the great philosophical war between idealists and materialists, I remain uncommitted to either side. However, dialectical materialism--a theory asserting that the material world influences human ideas, which in turn shape material realities--has taught me to embrace complex dichotomies in many contexts.
Parallel to dialectical materialism, research of the physical world affects theoretical discussion, which ultimately guides future research. Both the International Relations and Social Anthropology courses balance empirical and abstract study, allowing each method of learning to augment the other. For example, the Social Anthropology Department boasts a wealth of ethnographic fieldwork and research centers alongside intellectual debates. Similarly, the School of International Relations hosts research units including the Third Generation Project, which actively combats injustice, and juxtaposes such action with School-wide seminars. This dialectical relationship between theoretical discussion and real-world application, upheld by both courses, provides an avenue through which I can study the human condition introspectively and globally.
Broad and focused perspectives of the human experience also maintain a dialectical relationship, as individuals influence their society just as society shapes individuals. On a microcosmic level, I have studied humanity through metaphysics and epistemology in my advanced English classes, reading diverse texts by philosophers ranging from Avicenna to Aristotle to Confucious. I subsequently questioned how one's environment impacts their philosophies of life, which I answered in AP Seminar by researching the effects of neo-colonialism on the self-sustaining culture of native Hawaiians. On a macrocosmic scale, I explore the human condition through political involvement. As the congressional liaison between my local chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby and representative Kevin Mullin, I communicate community goals to reduce carbon emissions, which--in culmination with my experience campaigning and leading youth organizations--allows me to examine patterns of human association within systemic structures. My exploration of society on many levels, which correlate dialectically, would aid my success in both Social Anthropology's ethnography and International Relations' study of state interactions.
In July I attended St. Andrews' Summer Academic Experience Course, where I witnessed the close-knit, collaborative, and accepting environment fostered between students and faculty. While students' diverse international perspectives contributed to the professors' lectures, the professors also integrated their experiences into each lesson, creating a truly immersive education through dialectical dynamics.
My intention to learn through theory and empirical study about all scopes of the human experience within an immersive atmosphere has molded my aspiration to walk along the elevated path of St. Andrews' pier.
