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21 views4 pages

module1_diss_reviewer

Uploaded by

Guro Biritero Nestor Sinlao
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Lesso

Social Sciences: The Study


n 1 of Society

SOCIAL SCIENCES

Essentially, the term “Social Sciences” is defined as the body of knowledge


concerned with the methodical study of various aspects of our society, numerous
social phenomena, and the impacts of these occurrences on people’s lives. It is
characterized as the area of study that deals with the human behavior in its
cultural and social facets. Also, it is considered as the branch of science that
focuses on the interpersonal relationships among people living in a society. Over
the past centuries, Social Sciences focused on the contributing factors or
elements that molded and governed the development of the human civilization.
Speaking of elements, what are the important elements of Social Sciences?

ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

As you can see, there are two words comprising the term “Social
Sciences.” These words represent the two substantial elements of Social
Sciences, which are the society (social) and the empirical analysis (science).
Society, the first element of Social Sciences, puts the entire body of knowledge
in individuals as social beings and their social backgrounds or environments. It
situates Social Sciences in people and social issues that are affecting them. On
the other hand, empirical analysis places the Social Sciences in an academic
mode of investigation about human society using the scientific method, the
systematic and rational process of obtaining knowledge. Because of this
element, learning about society and understanding the things that are happening
in it need to be conducted experimentally such as having a keen observation,
critical analysis, and interpretation of social facts, which include data and
information about a particular social phenomenon, identified from the individuals
living within a certain society. This element is also the reason why Social
Sciences are recognized as scientific disciplines, which help people grasp the
idea of society and its complexities. Now, the question is: How Social Sciences
started to be recognized as scientific disciplines?

HISTORY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Before and during the Age of Enlightenment, the approaches used by


several social philosophers in examining human societies were
much more philosophical than scientific. Numerous philosophes, the intellectuals
or social philosophers who shaped the 18 th century Enlightenment, considered
this as a disagreeable continuing influence of the past that is

1
Figure 2: Philosophes

needed to be opposed through enlightenment, critical http://www.stanislasurbietorbi.com/s

tanislas/repas-votaire.htm reason,
and, if necessary, revolution.

Although Social Sciences have their own distinguishing


subject matters, these fields utilize the same philosophical
system that directed the progress of other disciplines such
as Physical Sciences and Biological Sciences, and that is
Positivism. Positivism is a philosophy that believes that
every single reasonable affirmation can be scientifically
proven or tested by empirical sciences or is capable of
mathematical or logical evidence. Furthermore, it holds that
for us to attain a
Figure 3: Auguste
Comte certain scientific idea, objectivity and practical investigation of
evidences must be observed. This philosophical theory is
https://tl.m.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Talaksan:Auguste_Comte2.jpg guiding Social Sciences in grasping and explaining

numerous social phenomena through systematic observations, critical analyses,


and interpretations of social facts found among the people living in a specific
society such as interpersonal relationships and human activities.
Auguste Comte
(17981857), the founder of Positivism and the one who foreshadowed the use of
this philosophy in studying human behaviors, argued that metaphysics and
theology are imperfect methods in searching for knowledge; that rational
thought is far more powerful in comparison to faith and superstition in explaining
different social phenomena. He proposed that theism and metaphysics should be
rejected since these modes of knowledge cannot be proven by empirical analysis
and, therefore, are unreliable. Now that you already knew that Social Sciences
are also employing the scientific method in studying their own subject matters,
the next question is: What makes Social Sciences different from other disciplines
like Natural Sciences and Humanities?

NATURAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

Natural Sciences and Humanities is that these


disciplines concentrate on analyzing and explaining
the different aspects of social life of the individuals
including their behaviors. Also, these fields focus on
observing and interpreting various social
phenomena. On the other hand,

Natural Sciences, or the sciences of nature, give https://pixabay.com/de/illustrations/


Figure 4: Natural Science

attention on investigating every single natural physik-wissenschaft-medizin-


dna140901/
phenomenon that occurred, or is currently happening, in our world using tangible
evidences like natural forces, fossils, and artifacts. These areas of study explore
the laws of nature that rule our world through objective and empirical
approaches. Also, Natural Sciences can be further categorized into Physical
Sciences, Biological Sciences, Earth Sciences and many more. Humanities,

2
differently, are academic disciplines that study numerous human conditions and
the manners wherein the human experiences are treated and recorded.
Additionally, these studies aim to comprehend the human perspective of
individuals’ social existence and the responses these people are displaying on
different occurrences. For instance, the literary works of Jose Rizal, such as Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, aim to educate the Filipinos on the
persecutions experienced by our countrymen during the Spanish regime.

Even though these three fields of study are different from one another, they are
also sharing a few similarities in some areas. Social Sciences, Natural Sciences,
and Humanities are all employing the scientific method in producing knowledge,
though this systematic process is more usual in Social Sciences and Natural
Sciences since Humanities are more focused on the creative expressions of
human experiences. When it comes to the similarity between Social Sciences
and Humanities, some of the disciplines of Social Sciences are also affiliated with
Humanities such as Anthropology, Linguistics, and, especially, History. History is
considered as the borderline to the two fields of knowledge since its methods
and insights penetrate both Social Sciences and Humanities.

REMEMBER

• The term “Social Sciences” is characterized as the body of knowledge


concerned with the systematic study of various aspects of human society,
several social phenomena, and the effects of these occurrences on
people’s lives.
• Positivism is a philosophical theory that believes that all reasonable
assertions can be systematically tested or proven by empirical sciences or
is capable of logical or mathematical evidence.
• Auguste Comte is the founder of Positivism and the one who suggested
the use of this philosophical system in learning about human behaviors.
• Natural Sciences concentrate on examining all natural phenomena that
happened, or are currently occurring, in the world through tangible
evidences such as fossils, artifacts, and natural forces.
• Humanities are disciplines that
deal with several human conditions and

3
the manners in which the human
experiences are processed and recorded.

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