INTRODUCTION TO

SOCIAL SCIENCES
WITH NATURAL
SCIENCES AND
HUMANITIES
Historical Background of Social
Sciences
The history of the social sciences begun in
the roots of ancient philosophy. In ancient
history, there was no difference between
Mathematics and the study of history,
poetry or politics, only with the development
of mathematical proof did there gradually
arise a perceived difference between
“scientific” disciplines and others such as the
“humanities” or “liberal arts.”
According to Stearns et al. (2000) In the period of
1760:
Some effort was spent on the study of man
and society. Hobbes, Leviathan; Lock’s Two
Treatises on Government; Vico`s New
Science; and Montesquieu Spirit of Laws
were all published in this period.
The revival of interest in social science
occurred in the middle of the 18th century.
By the middle of 18th century, capitalism had
begun to outgrow its early state and gradually it
became the dominant socio-economic system in
western and northern Europe.
In the second half of the 18th century,
urbanization and population growth became
accelerated, and during this period slums,
alcoholism, brutality of manners etc. developed
which were to become the targets of social reforms.
In the other half of the 18th century, in response
to the above there is a multiplication of works with
a scientific character.
Auguste Comte (1798-1853)
invented the term sociology.
He was the first to systematize
and give a complete analysis of
the principles of the positive
character of the Social
Sciences.
Montesquieu and Voltaire
According to Stearns et al. (2000) 19th Century Development
• At the beginning of the 19th century, social
science had attained in all the leading European
countries a firm and respectable position.
• In the 20th century we can also observe
recurrent occasions when proposals for a
generalized social science were made.
• The contribution of Auguste Comte was accepted
immediately; Emile Durkheim and the
sociologists of the late century and early century
were influenced by him.
• Karl Marx gave the first general theory of social
According to Stearns et al. (2000) 20th Century
Development
• If we examine the course of development of the
various social science disciplines, we find that
they follow, on the whole, a pattern through
which the older natural sciences also passed.
• At this stage the social science has become
institutionalized to a high degree. It has now
become a subject of research.
• Lawrence A. Kempton in his article “Social
Sciences Today” states that social science as
science is very young and there is confusion with
• History moves in to the humanities,
economics becomes Mathematics,
anthropology and psychology ally
themselves with biology and the geography
is at home with physical science.
• In the third and the most mature stage of
discipline the battles over method have
subsided, the theoretical rivalries tend to be
submerged in the efforts to elaborate
propositions bridging the differences and
contributing towards the further progress of
 Definitions of
SOCIAL SCIENCES,
NATURAL SCIENCES, &
HUMANITIES Denhardt et al.
(2009)
 SOCIAL SCIENCES
A branch of science devoted to the study
of societies and the relationships
among individuals within those
societies. “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
 NATURAL SCIENCES
A major branch of science
that deals with the
description, prediction and
understanding of natural
phenomena, basically
based on observational and
 Table 1: Two Main Branches of Natural
Science Denhardt et al. (2009)
Branches of Natural Description
Science
1. Life Science/ It studies life in all its forms, past and present. This
Biological Science includes plants, animals, viruses and bacteria, single-
celled organisms, and even cells.

2. Physical Science This is the systematic study of the inorganic world, as

distinct from the study of the organic world, which is the
province of biological science.

a. Physics The science in which matter and energy are studied both
separately and in combination with one another.
b. Astronomy The scientific study of celestial objects (such
as stars, planets, comets, and galaxies) and
phenomena that originate outside the Earth's
atmosphere (such as the cosmic background
radiation).
c. Chemistry The study of matter and its transformations
and the development of methods to manipulate
those transformations to create new and useful
forms of Matter
d. Earth Science The study of the Earth and its neighbors in
space. It is an exciting science with many
interesting and practical applications.
 HUMANITIES
- refers to the study of the ways in
which the human experience is
processed and documented.
- encompasses the field of
philosophy, literature, religion, art,
music, history and language.
 Social Sciences and Natural Sciences
Things in Common
• both sciences employ the scientific model
in order to gain information.
• both sciences use empirical and measured
data evidence that can be seen and
discerned by the senses.
• both sciences’ theories can be tested to
yield theoretical statements and general
positions.
Table 2: Differences of Social Sciences and Natural
Sciences
Social Science Natural Science
• Arose 300 years later • Started during the 16th and 17th
• Deals with subject (human being) century.
• It is spontaneous, unpredictable • Deals with object.
and uncontrollable, as it deals • Characterized by exactness,
with human emotions and controlled variables, and
behavior. predictability.
• Experiential Data • Experimental Data
• Typically involves alternative • The typical method of science is
methods of observation and doing repetitive and conventional
interaction with people within laboratory experiments.
community.
• Open system
SOCIAL SCIENCE and HUMANITIES

Things in Common
Both the humanities and social
science are concerned with
human aspects like, law, politics,
linguistics, economics, and
psychology as well as human
lives and nature.
 Table 3: Differences of Social Sciences and
Social Science Humanities Humanities

• Influenced by and developed • Emerged in the 15th century.

after the French revolution and • Humanities involved more of a
the Industrial revolution. scientific approach.
• Social science deals with more • Deemed to be more
scientific approach. philosophical and concerned
• Involves application of an with heritage and the question of
empirical, rational, and objective what makes us human. It
methodology (such as the use of comprises the application of an
validity and reliability test) to interpretative methodology.
present facts.
 Table 4: Functions of Social Sciences and
Social Science Humanities Humanities
• To analyze, explain, and • To better appreciate the
possibly predict and meaning and purpose of
produce new knowledge the human experience -
of factual information both broadly in the nature
• To generate and produce of the human condition, as
new knowledge or factual well as within each
information individual
Activity 1: All about Us Venn Diagram!
Directions: Complete the following Venn Diagrams.
A.

SOCIAL Similaritie NATURAL

SCIENCES s
SCIENCES
• Deals with
• Deals with
subject
object
B.

Similaritie
s
SOCIAL HUMANITIES
SCIENCES • Involve a
• Deal with more critical
more of a and
scientific analytical
approach approach
Anthropology Earth Science Seismology
Astronomy Humanities Social Science
Biological Science Natural Science ChemistryPhysics
1. The _____ can be described as the study of how people
process and document the human experience.
2.The _____ is a branch of science that deals with the
identification of the substances of which matter is composed.
3. ______includes all fields of natural science related to the
planet Earth.
4.______ deals with the study of the living organisms. The
science under this category focuses on the study of internal
body functions and structures of body cells and tissues.
5.The _____ is the scientific study of human society and social
relationships.
6. _______ is the branch of science concerned with
the nature and properties of matter and energy.
7. The _____ is the study of everything in the
universe beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
8. A ______ is the branch of knowledge which deals
with the study of the physical world.
9. The term ________thus embrace all those
subjects which deal with the relationship of man to
the society.
10. A ______deals with the description, prediction
and understanding of natural phenomena,
basically based on observational and empirical
Activity 3: Write down 10 problems that you think needed
attention in your
society. In the opposite column, write the things that you can
do to help solve these
problems.
Problems I See Help I Can Give

1. Lack of Education Be an active participant to society using

strategic ways in accessing educational
tools, modules and equipment.

2.

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