The Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences
What are the key concepts of the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences?
-Thinking, analyzing, and critiquing occur differently depending on the academic or professional discipline. -Even when the object of study is the same, the perspective, critical approach, and analysis will vary by discipline.
What are two important purposes of logic?
-understanding causality (cause-and-effect relationships) -identifying—and perhaps resolving—paradoxes, situations in which logical thought leads to two different answers
What is an example of the scientific method?
A biologist who conducts an experiment involving different plant species to test her hypothesis about optimal growth conditions.
What is ethics?
A branch of philosophy that deals with values relating to human thought and conduct; the study of the moral values of an individual, group, or culture
What is behaviorism?
A branch of psychology that focuses on environmental influences on behavior
What is a figurative explanation?
A colorful, image-filled, metaphor-rich use of language to describe art or life
What is aesthetics?
A conception of what is artistically valid or beautiful in art, culture, or nature; the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature and expression of beauty
What is an example of aesthetics?
A film reviewer who explains why the new blockbuster movie relies too much on action and plot, and not enough on character development.
What is an example of pragmatic reasoning?
A linguist who changes his mind after discovering that English immersion is more effective in teaching elementary school students than dual language instruction.
What is a aria?
A long accompanied song for a solo voice typically found in a opera
What is an example of a Apollonian response?
A music critic reviews the performance of a singer by assessing how well she hits given notes.
What is a theologian?
A person who studies religious questions such as the nature of God
What is an epidemiologist?
A person who studies the incidence and prevalence of disease in large populations and the detection and causes of epidemics
What is a sociologist?
A person who studies the organization, social institutions, and development of human societies
What is a linguist?
A person who studies the science of language, including phonetics, phonology, and morphology
What is an example of a empirical study?
A political scientist who reviews voting patterns in one election and finds candidates who speak to the concerns of voters over 50 are more successful than those who appeal to younger voters.
What is an example of inductive reasoning?
A sociologist who talks to a small sample of high school students about reasons for smoking and projects these results to all high-schoolers.
What is a Dionysian response?
A spontaneous, unstructured, creative, passionate reaction
What is an empirical study?
A study derived from experiment and observation rather than theory
What is an example of ethics?
A theologian studies the ethical implications of human cloning
What is an example of a figurative explanation?
A writer or poet, such as Homer, who describes or explains using figurative language ("wine-dark sea"; "the ground is thirsty").
What is a Apollonian response?
An analytical, rational, objective reaction
What is an example of deductive reasoning?
An economist predicts changes in the local unemployment rate based on macroeconomic theory.
What is an example of logic?
An epidemiologist who reviews the data on a given outbreak of a disease and traces it back to its origins.
What is a example of a Dionysian response?
An opera-goer who responds emotionally, not rationally, and weeps as the leading lady sings her tragic aria
What is the scientific method?
Designing controlled experiments, gathering data, and developing and testing hypotheses about the natural world
What is an example of synthesis?
One social scientist maintains that only the government can address systemic poverty (thesis); another social scientist argues that only the private sector can address systemic poverty (antithesis); a third social scientist combines their thinking and argues for public-private partnerships in addressing poverty (synthesis).
What is deductive reasoning?
Reasoning from the general to the particular (or from cause to effect)
What is pragmatic reasoning?
Reasoning that assumes the truth of an idea can be validated by its practical outcome
What is inductive reasoning?
Reasoning that proceeds from particular facts to a general conclusion (or from effect to cause)
What is synthesis?
The combination of thesis and antithesis which produces a new and higher level of truth
What is the mode of study for humanities?
The humanities often turn to aesthetics, figurative explanations, and Apollonian and Dionysian responses
What is the mode of study?
The method or approach to studying a topic or subject
What is the mode of study for natural sciences?
The natural sciences rely heavily on the scientific method and logic
What is the mode of study for the social sciences?
The social sciences employ synthesis, ethics, logic, empirical studies, and various forms of reasoning (inductive, deductive, and pragmatic)
What is an object of study?
The topic or field concentration to be examined
What is logic?
Thinking in a linear, step-by-step manner about ideas or problems
