To say that I have always been interested in European society would be a lie. However, my study of English Literature, European History, and the French language has aroused my enthusiasm for European culture. The French Revolution, for example, engages me as it is a milestone event that signifies a change in European politics, philosophy and psyche. George Eliot's ‘Silas Marner', my ‘A' Level Literature text, espouses Comtean positivism--it is this exploration and development of ideas in Europe that fascinates me.
Europe's contributions to and influences on human thought have been substantial, manifold and pervasive. A particular feature of Europe is its vicariousness; it is like a jigsaw puzzle made up of a multitude of nations, political and economic systems, languages--human constructs that stimulate me because they reflect both Man's ingenuity and failings, trace the development of civilizations, and are manifestations of humanity's multifariousness, especially in ideas. This differentiation allows for interaction, transfusion, and even conflict. Liberalism, nationalism, capitalism and communism all originated from Europe, and the latter ideology further inspired such variants as Bolshevism there and elsewhere. Furthermore, phenomena like colonization and large-scale migration of European peoples to other continents sow the seeds of European thought abroad, such that the European influence permeates the global landscape even up till today.
[...] This is especially so for Europe, which may be seen as a microcosm of the world. For example, efforts at greater integration are present in both Europe and the larger world. In the future I see myself working either in a multinational company with global operations or as a translator. In the former case the course would equip me with an understanding of the psyches and tongues of the various European peoples, facilitating my job; in the latter, I would apply the languages learnt, conveying as best as possible the thoughts to be communicated. [...]
[...] It would be a great pleasure to learn a new language as part of the course as well. Language is fundamentally concerned with communication and expression of ideas. The literature created, then, is thus reflective of the thoughts of the time. This is one of my motivations to learn new tongues: it increases the access to the literature of other languages, and even of other worlds altogether. My mother tongue, Chinese, has unravelled to me its own treasures, such as Chinese philosophy like that of Confucius'. [...]
[...] Personal statement To say that I have always been interested in European society would be a lie. However, my study of English Literature, European History, and the French language has aroused my enthusiasm for European culture. The French Revolution, for example, engages me as it is a milestone event that signifies a change in European politics, philosophy and psyche. George Eliot's ‘Silas Marner', my ‘A' Level Literature text, espouses Comtean positivism--it is this exploration and development of ideas in Europe that fascinates me. [...]
[...] Moreover, language, like humanity, has a duality to it: It, as does literature, highlights the pinnacles of Man's and each culture's achievements, and at the same time reveals to us the foibles and frailties that are deeply intertwined with our nature. It is this duality of language that, perhaps most of all, intrigues me. My enthusiasm for language, linked to literature, prompted me to participate in Writers' Inc., while my involvement in the French Club was driven by my fascination for other cultures. Both have given me greater exposure and allowed me to assume responsibility, such as the organisation of the cultural fair on Bastille Day. [...]
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