Social Science & Philosophy
Social Science & Philosophy
Social Science & Philosophy
GE011
Defining Social Sciences
Pre-Assessment
Take a tour around your community and list down at least three (3) social problems that you can
observe. Afterwards, write down the actions that the government had taken to address the
problems.
2. Why do you think studying human behavior be integral in addressing Social Problems
encountered in the community?
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3. How is the Scientific Method integrated in Social Sciences and the quest to answer societal
problems?
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Origin of Social Science
The great Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote that “man is a social animal.” We are all
born and raised in a society. We belong to a particular group and we share a certain territory. We
interact with one another and build relationships in the hope of pursuing a better life. We may
share a distinct culture, same political dynamics, or similar institutions. As rational animals, we
use reason in order to satisfy our curiosity and discover the how and why of so many things
around us. When questions present themselves, we try to find answers deepening on different
modes of inquiry. It is quite obvious that there is a need to study society in order for us to provide
explanations on its workings and to understand a wide array of phenomena that baffles the human
mind. In this way, observable results may help in predicting human behavior and guide people in
formulating the necessary measures that could solve societal problems. This lesson will help us
understand the social sciences, its importance, and its differences from the field of the natural
sciences.
The four categories of human knowledge are Natural Sciences, Social Sciences,
Humanities, and Applied professions. It is said that each discipline has its own history,
agreements, and disputes about subject matter and methods as well as its own community of
scholars interested in teaching and learning in that field (Repko, 2008).
The Natural Sciences aims to explain and predict various phenomena in nature.
Examples of disciplines under the natural sciences include:
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Earth Sciences
• Physics
The Social Sciences attempts to explain and describe human behavior in a society.
Examples of disciplines under the social sciences include:
• Anthropology
• Economics
• Psychology
• Sociology
The Humanities is the study of human culture. It is a branch of learning that investigates
human constructs and concerns as opposed to natural process and social relations. Examples of
disciplines under the field of Humanities are:
• Art
• Music
• Literature
The field of Applied professions pertain to the application of scientific knowledge to
practical problems. Some examples include:
• Nursing
• Medicine
• Education
• Law
According to Seligman, “social sciences as those mental or cultural sciences which deal
with the activities of the individual as member of the group. The term social sciences thus embrace
all those subjects which deal with the relationship of man to the society.”
According to Mitchell that “the term social science is loosely applied to any kind of study
concerning man and society. In the strict sense it should refer the application of scientific method
to the study of the intricate and complex network of human relationship and the form of
organization designed to enable people to live together in societies.”
Meanwhile, as mentioned by Fairchild, “social science as a general term for all the
sciences which are concerned with the human affairs.”
Lastly, as Peter Lewis cited that “social sciences are concerned with the laws that govern
society and the social department of man.”
So, we can say that social sciences embrace all those subjects which deal with the human affairs.
The social sciences overlap each other.
These questions fall within the purview of the social sciences, which are group of academic
disciplines that deal with the human aspects of the world (Jison & Ponsaran, 2018).
The term social sciences was coined by William Thompson in his book An inquiry into
the Principles of the Distribution of Wealth Most Conducive to Human Happiness in 1824.
Since then, the term social science has been used to refer generally to all fields of study that
analyze society and culture.
The study of the social sciences can be complex, given society’s ever-changing nature.
Human and social behavior are ever-changing as they dependent on specific circumstances.
However, the study of the social sciences can be fruitful, as it is vital in addressing some of the
fundamental problems that confront us today (Jison & Ponsaran, 2018).
The social sciences boast of a long and interesting history – one that is shaped by the
individual’s inherent desire to find answers to unresolved questions, study the rise and fall of
institutions, and understand the socio-political circumstances of particular historical periods, as
well as the people’s increasing awareness of the variety of the human experience (Jison &
Ponsaran, 2018).
Systematized human knowledge is rooted in our curiosity to learn about the world around us.
In ancient history, this entailed exploring our physical surroundings and examining various aspects:
What are the trees, rocks, mountains, oceans, and rivers made of, and what makes them
different from one another? Why do seasons change? What is the nature of the sun, the moon,
and the stars?
Later on, the curiosity expanded to conclude not only the natural world, but also the
human-made world: Why do different people believe in different Gods? Why are some people rich
while others are poor? Do kings truly have a divine right to rule, or are there other ways to organize
and govern society?
Ancient Greece and Rome played a vital role in the development of an approach to answer
such questions about the world in a systematic and rational manner.
Plato’s The Republic laid down some of the earliest thoughts on the foundations of the
society. Aristotle’s Politics marked the first comprehensive attempt to come up with the most ideal
way of distributing power in a community (Jison & Ponsaran, 2018).
The works of the Greek philosophers served as the foundation on which the
various forms of rational inquiry were built. British mathematician and philosopher Alfred North
Whitehead (1861 – 1947) is often quoted for asserting that the “safest general characterization of
the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes of Plato.” The ideas
put forth by these ancient scholars formed the basis for the development and growth of the various
disciplines existing today (Jison & Ponsaran, 2018).
Thus, any unease over Aristotle’s pagan background disappeared, and his
teachings became an indispensable tool in the basic tenet underlying all scholarly activity during
this period: THE MARRIAGE OF FAITH AND LOGIC. This marriage of reason and religion as
method of learning is known as scholasticism.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, during the Renaissance, scholasticism fell out of favor with
philosophers and scholars who criticized it for being too rigid, formalistic, and outdated. It thus gave
way to humanism, a philosophical movement which placed the human being’s capacity for reason
and rationality at its center, affirmed the dignity and worth of all people, advocated secularism,
distanced learning from religion, and rejected the supernatural and belief without
reason. Humanism also encouraged skepticism and the use of the scientific method in obtaining
knowledge.
The move toward the secularism also set the stage for the next philosophical period, the Age of
Reason. The Age of Reason was characterized by the academe moving further away from theology and
faith-based approaches to knowledge in favor of schools of thought such as rationalism, exemplified by
Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650), and empiricism, as represented by John Locke (1632 – 1704).
The period followed, known as the Age of Enlightenment, was both an extension of and a
reaction to the Age of Reason. The scholars of the period continued advocating reason and rationality,
and rejected superstition, leading to further decline of the Church’s influence in society (Jison &
Ponsaran, 2018).
Influenced by the likes of John Locke, the thinkers of this period also questioned the arbitrariness
of the power of the State, and advocated democratic rule and greater rights for the common people.
2. Problem – the researcher defines the nature of the problem where a theory can
be develop along the way; this is the most important phase of inquiry.
5. Analysis – the researcher may find patterns and relationships that could help in
the analysis of gathered data; this the stage of classifying and organizing data.
Assessment
Create a Concept Map that distinguishes Social and Natural Sciences and Humanities. After
which, explain how each sciences can be a factor in addressing Social Problems in the
community. Cite examples if necessary. You can use any form of media in submitting this
activity.
I. Classification
Determine which Sciences the disciplines in the box belongs to.
2. What is the importance of studying social sciences in making the country prosper?
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Summary
Social Science basically means the study of the society. It deals with the changes in
human relationship and reinterpretation between the present and past events. It also deals with
On the other hand, Natural Sciences aims to explain and predict various phenomena in
Social Sciences helps in figuring out the complexities of human behavior and relations in
1. Anthropology
2. Economics
3. Geography
4. History
5. Linguistics
6. Political Sciences
7. Sociology
8. Psychology
9. Demography
Analyzation
By the use of a Venn Diagram, compare Social Sciences with Natural Sciences and Humanities
Social Sciences
2. Why is there a need to study each of the Discipline of Social Science? Explain the particulars
of each discipline.
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Content of the Lesson
We have learned from the previous lesson that social sciences are bodies of organized
knowledge and thought about human affairs and activities. The social sciences systematically
attempt to discover and describe the different behavior patterns of people in a society. This lesson
will help you understand the different disciplines within the social sciences wherein life and
activities of people, including their motives and values, provide the subject matter of the study.
Moreover, this lesson will familiarize you with the emergence of each discipline and how these
important disciplines compare and contrast with one another. (Jose & Ong, 2016)
9. Demography
a. Demography has been defined as the scientific study of human populations.
b. Demography has also been defined as the study of the growth, structure, and
composition of human populations.
c. The term came from the French word demographie derived from Greek word
demos meaning ‘people’ and French word graphie.
d. Population studies is often concerned with the consequences of demographic
processes, while demography is more concerned with the causes of those
processes.
e. Demography studies the following:
i. Population size: the number of people in a country, a state, a city, a
region, or the world at a given time
ii. Population growth or decline: changes in the number of people in a
given geographic area over time
iii. Population processes: fertility, mortality, and migration
iv. Factors related to population processes: diseases and socioeconomic
characteristics related to mortality, family formation, labor force
participation, and government policies related to fertility, differences in
income and opportunities in various areas, war and immigration policies,
and economic conditions motivating migration
v. Population distribution: geographic distribution, such as among states
or between rural and urban areas
vi. Population structure: age and sex composition, the growing proportion of
the population at advanced ages, the sex ratio at birth, and the increasing
proportion of the population that is female with increasing age
vii. Population characteristics: education, income, labor force participation,
marital status, and race or ethnic group membership—anything that has a
value for each member of the population and does not have the same value
for everyone
f. Two types of Demography:
i. Formal Demography deals with fertility, marriage/union formation and
dissolution, mortality, and migration, using specific demographic methods and
measures. It also focuses on relations within the demographic system.
ii. Social Demography uses demographic data in explaining and predicting
social phenomena. It examines the population’s social status composition.
The following are the historical foundations and social contexts that led to the
development of each discipline:
1. Anthropology
a. The rise of Western imperialism in 18th and 19th centuries prompted interest in
the study of culture of the colonies.
b. Key Personalities: Franz Boas, and Bronislaw Malinowski
2. Economics
a. Became a separate discipline with the publication of Adams Smith’s The Wealth
of Nations in 1776.
b. Key personalities: Adams Smith and Karl Marx
3. Geography
a. Became academic discipline in Europe during 18th and 19 centuries while many
geographic societies were founded in the 19th century.
b. Key personalities: Immanuel Kant, Alexader von Humboldt, and Carl Ritter
4. History
a. The Greeks were the first writers of history is one of the oldest of the social
sciences.
b. Key Personalities: Herodotus (the father of History), Thucydides, and Leopold
von Ranke
5. Linguistics
a. Modern linguistics started to develop in the 18 century with philology reaching its
zenith in the 19 century.
b. Key personalities: Ferdinand de Saussure, Jacques Derrida, Hans Georg-
Gadamer, and Jurgen Habermas
6. Political Science
a. As an academic discipline, Political Science is a relatively new field that was
principally worked on by American scholars in the 19th and 20th centuries.
b. Key personalities: Plato, Aristotle, Augustine of Hippo, Niccolo Machiavelli,
Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke
7. Sociology
a. As a formal academic field of study was founded by Emile Durkheim during late
19th century with establishment of the first sociology department in Europe
b. Key Personalities: Auguste Comte, Karl Marx, Herbert Spencer, and Emile
Durkheim
8. Psychology
a. In 1879, Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychological laboratory in Leipzig
(Germany) thereby effectively making Psychology a formal field of study.
b. Key personalities: Wilhelm Wundt, G. Stanley Hall, John Dewey, Sigmund Freud
9. Demography
a. The 19th century saw the emergence of demography when it separated from
statistics as field of study.
b. Key personalities: Thomas Malthus, Adolphe Quetelet, and William Farr
Summary
o Anthropology is the study of humankind.
o Economics is a discipline that concentrates on how a particular society solves its problem
of scarcity of resources. It seeks to understand people’s activities concerning production,
distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
o Geography is the study of the features of the earth and the location of living things on the
planet.
o History is a branch of knowledge that attempts to ascertain, record, and explain facts and
events that happened in the past.
o Linguistics is a field of knowledge involving the scientific study of language as universal and
recognizable aspect of human behavior and capacity.
o Sociology is a discipline that is primarily interested in human beings as they appear in social
interaction and the effects of this interaction on human behavior.
o Demography is the study of human populations. It is also the study of the growth, structure,
and composition of human population.