Nature and Function of Social Science Disciplines with Natural Science and Humanities

A set of practice flashcards covering definitions and key ideas from the lecture notes on social science, natural science, humanities, and foundational thinkers.

What are the two important contexts carried by the term social science?

It involves the scientific process and inquiries about social space.

What is Natural Science?

A major branch of science that describes, predicts, and understands natural phenomena based on observational and empirical evidence.

What are the two main branches of Natural Science?

Life Science (Biological Science) and Physical Science (Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry, Earth Science).

What is Humanities?

The study of the ways human experience is processed and documented; includes philosophy, literature, religion, art, music, history, and language.

When did Natural Science begin?

During the 16th and 17th centuries.

What are the characteristics and data practices of Natural Science?

Begins in the 16th–17th century, deals with objects, emphasizes exactness, controlled variables, predictability, and uses experimental data.

What data does Natural Science typically rely on?

Experimental data from repetitive laboratory experiments.

What data does Social Science typically rely on?

Experiential data from observation and interaction with people in a community.

What kind of system is Natural Science described as?

Closed system.

What kind of system is Social Science described as?

Open system.

What is the focus of Social Science?

The study of phenomena relating to human groups and their sociophysical environment.

Name the disciplines encompassed by Humanities.

Philosophy, Literature, Religion, Art, Music, History, and Language.

Where does the history of the social sciences originate?

In the roots of ancient philosophy.

Which thinkers established the sciences of society?

Auguste Comte, Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber.

Who formally established sociology as a discipline?

Émile Durkheim.

What did Plato propose about harmony in society?

Harmony is achieved by creating classes or divisions; the soul reflects society.

List fields Aristotle contributed to.

Logic, Criticism, Rhetoric, Physics, Biology, Psychology, Mathematics, Metaphysics, Ethics, and Politics.

Who was Al Biruni and what are two of his works?

Islamic medieval scholar; Remaining Signs of Past Century and Critical Study of What India Says.

What is the central idea of Hobbes' Leviathan?

Advocates a strong sovereign to prevent chaos; authority ultimately derives from the people through the social contract, not divine right.

What did John Locke contribute to political theory?

British empiricism; government's power comes from the governed with the protection of natural rights.

What did Montesquieu contribute to political theory?

Theory of separation of powers and checks and balances among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

What idea did Jean-Jacques Rousseau promote?

The social contract enables a general will or common good.

What did Durkheim argue in The Rules of Sociological Methods?

Everything in the social realm can be understood and studied through quantifiable methods.

What is Durkheim's notable study on suicide about?

A comparison of suicide rates between Catholic and Protestant populations (Suicide, 1897).