From the past few years, the relevance of Politics, Economics and Philosophy has inspired me to explore the modern world with convictions and concerns. I believe politics engage with many aspects of our life, from tax to religions. The judgment of a government's success has been closely linked to its economic performance. The question "Who gets what?" has urged me to read into political philosophy and think about the distribution of political power. I am interested in Marx's political philosophy and his arguments on capitalism, as it shows how politics, economics and philosophy are linked. I believe even from today's view it still provides a sharp tool to criticize existing societies.
In A-level Economics I have enjoyed macroeconomics in particular. My studies on fiscal and monetary policies have enabled me to apply theoretic thoughts to real life scenarios. Also I enjoy debates at school, as processes to evaluate my thoughts. A topic on whether or not Britain should join the Euro has fascinated me, as this shows how politics and economics are linked to make vital decisions. Furthermore, as captain of the Target 2.0 Challenge team, our preparation is giving us a practical approach to monetary policy. Through discussions, we have decided to cut current interest rate from 4.5% to 3.75%. As we believe the downside risks outweigh the upside. Inflation mainly driven by commodities and imported prices will likely to come down because of the contracting demand and money supply during global economic slowdown. The experience of teamwork and researches has helped me to gain more understanding on how macroeconomics works. I look forward to use what I have learnt in A-level to cope with the more challenging and technical side of degree level Economics.
The atmosphere of discussions in my A-level Philosophy and Ethics class has influenced me to take it further. I believe philosophy has fundamental influences with politics. J.Wolff "An introduction to political philosophy" has inspired me to observe those influences. The state of nature argument has given me an interpretation to think about a state, as to consider its absence. My study on Utilitarianism in A-level has helped me to understand this book. The way Wolff talks about political obligations and Utilitarianism influences on law making, has reflected some fundamental weaknesses of democracy and the Utilitarianism theory itself. Meanwhile, P.Vardy's "The Puzzle of God" has introduced me to different arguments and methods about the existence of God. I thus realize the importance of logic in Western Philosophy and that interested me to apply logic when thinking about issues in politics and economics. Nevertheless, my recent attendance to a day conference at University of Exeter has given me the opportunity to explore the academic excitement of Philosophy which I look forward to study as part of my degree.
Having travelled extensively to East Asia and Western Europe, I have witnessed many different states, societies and cultures within a modern world. My work experience at the Herald Express, a local newspaper, had given me a chance to realize the importance of the media. This has strengthened my belief on the freedom of the press. With concerns over some societies with government restricted media. In spare time I enjoy playing different sports. Basketball and snooker have helped me to keep my physical strength and leisure time refreshing.
My interest in Politics, Economics and Philosophy has been pronounced and I look forward to the opportunity to spend more time on studying this subject in more depth. This could be a valuable life time for me to recognize my interest and fulfillment through readings, discussions and events in an atmosphere with academic excitements.
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