Politics and Identity

Recently, our philosophy teacher gave us a TOK lecture about politics. He said they are important, because they cause discussions between the perspective you have of the world and the other's perspective, making it possible for us, humans, to coexist in relative peace. Without all the debates and disputes caused by politics, our systems and laws would never be improved, all these debates are needed to try to make life fair for everyone.

He also mentioned that politics aren't just the ideas, but all the feelings behind these, as people's identities are in them. Politics are something that touch people in the very core of their beings, it stirs emotions in the same way religions do, because we discuss our principles, our ways of seeing the world. When something so inherent to us is discussed and even attacked, emotions take an important part in what we say.

All of these was really interesting to hear, but what really left me thinking was what he said about our position as individuals in society and the way politics affects our lives. Because though we may have not given much thought to it, politics are a crucial part of our everyday life. In fact, I believe they have such a great influence in us, that they can reach the point of controlling them absolutely. 

Our teacher talked about how much we were controlled by the system devised by our governments. How we went to school, where they implement ideas we tend to accept without much questioning and try to make us all the same, just another person in a mass of thousands. How our society has certain expectations on us without even knowing us, only because of our social status or the type of education we receive. How what we want clashes with what the society demands from us, and how they tend to win. 

Maybe it can be a little extremist, but it's all true. We aren't as free as we think we are, we are just another piece in the big machine our society is. Our views of the world are affected by the culture we've grown in, by the trends in our society, by all that propaganda around us, so discrete, we can hardly notice it, and by what people around us think about what's happening around the world, history, religion... 

I had a discussion with one of my classmates about the invasion of the U.S. in Afghanistan. My classmate, being American and the son of military, believed it was the right thing to do and that it was completely justifiable. My point of view was the complete opposite, my family is also one of military people, but I've never been too close to them and none of them are American. Our TOK teacher made us think about how much propaganda we had received and how much it had affected our opposite points of view. This is a clear example of how politic interests, propaganda, culture... influences our opinions and acts. It's surprising to think that if I had grown in a different environment I would probably think differently, I would probably be an entirely different being. I wonder to what point have the views of those around me affected my visions, if I really am what I want to be. It's really hard to get out of the mass and become a real individual in a society interested in us being all the same, but  I believe it's important to try. To stop for a moment and think if our actions are what we really want them to be or just what they expect from us, what the society has made them be. And also, to try and actually see the world through the perspective of another person and try to understand their views better in order to be able to determined how biased we are due to our proceeding.

And, after thinking about this, is it really possible to find truths when there are so many cultures and societies, all different from each other? Or are 'truths' just ideas implanted to the mass?