Arjun Shah

  

Volume 8 | Issue IV | December 2024

Phillips Academy Andover ’25

Massachusetts, USA

  

I first discovered my passion for political theory during freshman-year debate meetings. Marveled by older students’ esoteric references to Locke, Hobbes, and Plato, I spent my summers consumed in Two Treatises of Government and The Republic. I thought deeply about the dilemmas that thinkers had grappled with for centuries: What is political justice? How should power be allocated? Along with my interest in political philosophy, I have always had an affinity for historical inquiry. I value narratives and people, and I truly believe that addressing the issues of the present requires a comprehensive understanding of their historical context. When the opportunity to write a research paper presented itself, I chose to focus on the development of Hindu nationalism in India. The topic has personal relevance to me, as the growing religious divide in India led to the Partition of India in 1947, which split my ancestral lineage across two nations. In writing the paper, I merged my historical analysis skills with my interest in political philosophy, interrogating colonial and post-colonial policies and exploring the applications of theoretical terms like communalism and nationalism. Inspired to submit to The Schola, I worked to refine my paper and solidify its interdisciplinary connections. Outside of academics, I enjoy lobbying for environmental policies and playing tennis.