A PSA for PS.

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Political science is the master science. -Aristotle.

Evolution is the only permanent truth. Makes sense when seen through the theory of an ever-expanding universe. Within this dynamic, the advancement of humans in all fields is nothing short of a marvel.

But I believe that only in the field of political science, we are not quite at par with the pace of evolution witnessed in other disciplines. And that too is ironic, given that political science is what holds the architecture of all other fields together. If political institutions collapse, so does everything else.

Since the 1600s, political science was reduced to a means for economics, whether through the lens of social contract theory, idealist welfare models, or Marxist interpretations. But the growing political apathy of our times, as Herbert Marcuse foresaw, calls out the dangers of reducing humans to one-dimensional beings, increasingly shaped by individualism and the idea of the ‘economic man.’

This disconnection is especially stark in our times. We are not only ignorant of the social nature of humans, but also of the progress political science has enabled,  from representative institutions to international cooperation. The brightest minds have contributed to building these frameworks, and yet, we are surrounded by institutional voids, disillusionment, and organisational decay. There is a widespread ineffectiveness across systems.

While many fields have reached astonishing levels of systematisation, international politics, arguably the highest level of human integration, remains a century younger than most, and comparatively fragile. Unlike science, technology, or even domestic law, the international realm has yet to fully mature.

The effort to push forward this multilateral and hopefully stable world order still exists largely on paper, in procedures, in summits, and in the act of raising voices. Like every human endeavour, especially in the social sphere, it is bound to be filled with frustration, drawbacks, and backlash. The path forward may seem dim. But the goal is not only to keep moving forward, but also to improve as we grow. That, too, is evolution.

And in this evolution for stability, peace is essential. Peace comes from Strength and strength respects strength. Given this Defence is deterrence. Economy is a propellant. Demography is energy, dormant or dynamic, depending on how we nurture it. Political will is the steering force, the conscious direction without which all potential risks going astray.

Political science may not offer easy answers, but it asks the most vital question of all: How do we live together, and live meaningfully? In an age of technological triumph but moral drift, this question is not only relevant but imperative.



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