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Questions and Answers
Which branch of philosophy investigates the nature of knowledge?
What is the primary focus of axiology in philosophy?
What does metaphysics primarily investigate?
Which philosophical branch deals specifically with moral principles?
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What type of questions does epistemology explore?
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What is the primary focus of economics?
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Which branch of social science studies social structures and individual behaviors?
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What does the study of history primarily involve?
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How does geography differ from the other branches of social science?
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What aspect of psychology is primarily studied?
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Study Notes
Branches of Social Science
- Economics focuses on managing scarce resources and the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.,
- Sociology studies society, individuals, and social structures like class, religion, and social mobility.
- History involves examining past events through artifacts and resources to understand how and why they occurred.
- Linguistics scientifically studies how language is structured, used, and learned.
- Geography studies the Earth's surface and the interaction between humans and their environment.
- Political Science studies government and political power, including government formation and interaction with citizens and nations.
- Psychology scientifically studies how human thought affects behavior.
Introduction to Philosophy
- Philosophy explores fundamental truths like reality, the meaning of life, perception, and our interaction with the world.
- It encourages critical thinking by examining different perspectives on complex issues.
- Philosophy encompasses various topics like:
- Metaphysics: Studies what exists beyond the physical world, including concepts like love, death, and justice.
- Ethics: Examines what is good and bad in human acts.
- Epistemology: Analyzes the nature and extent of knowledge.
- Axiology: Studies the value of things.
- Political Philosophy: Analyzes power and government.
- Aesthetics: Deals with the nature of beauty.
- Logic: Involves reasoning.
- It connects to other academic disciplines, encouraging a deeper understanding of different viewpoints.
Branches of Philosophy
- Axiology explores the metaphysical implications of value, asking what is valuable and what is worthless, focusing on aesthetic values (beauty and creative expression) and ethical values (right and wrong in human acts).
- Metaphysics investigates the nature of reality, including ontology (nature of existence) and cosmology (beginnings and ends of the universe).
- Epistemology focuses on knowledge and how we acquire it, addressing questions like what is knowledge, how do we acquire it, and is there an upper limit to human knowledge.
- Ethics defines what is right and wrong, guiding our actions in different situations.
- Political Philosophy studies governance, power, justice, and ethics, blending philosophy with politics.
- Aesthetics explores the nature of beauty and artistic value, challenging our understanding of beauty and whether it's subjective or objective.
- Logic is the methodical study of sound reasoning, providing guidelines and procedures for distinguishing between valid and invalid arguments.
Sociological Theories
- Sociological theories seek to explain social phenomena, including the development of testable propositions called hypotheses.
- Macro-level theories deal with broad problems and large populations.
- Micro-level theories focus on specific relationships between small groups.
- Grand Theories address fundamental problems like why societies form and change.
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Paradigms are philosophical and theoretical frameworks used in a discipline to formulate theories, generalizations, and experiments, shaping sociological thinking.
- Structural-Functionalism: Views society as a structure with interrelated parts designed to meet individual needs.
- Conflict Theory: Sees society as a competition for limited resources.
- **Symbolic Interactionism:**Focuses on meanings attached to human interaction, both verbal and non-verbal.
Structural-Functional Theory
- Views society as a structure with interrelated parts that meet individual needs.
- Herbert Spencer compared society to the human body, arguing that just as organs work together to maintain the body, different parts of society work together to maintain social functioning.
- Émile Durkheim applied Spencer's theory to explain societal change and survival, believing that society is held together by shared values, languages, and symbols.
- Social facts (laws, morals, values, customs, etc.) govern social life, each serving specific functions within a society.
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Robert Merton identified different types of social functions:
- Manifest Functions: Sought or anticipated consequences of a social process.
- Latent Functions: Unsought consequences of a social process.
- Dysfunctions: Social processes with undesirable consequences for society.
Social Conflict Theory
- Views society as a competition for limited resources.
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Karl Marx saw society as comprised of two classes:
- Bourgeoisie (Capitalists): Own and control the means of production, leading to exploitation due to profit motives.
- Proletariat (Workers): Have only their labor to sell, lacking ownership or control over capital.
- Marx's theory focuses on the “mode of production” (e.g., factories) and “relations of production” (e.g., power imbalance between workers and owners).
- False Consciousness: The proletariat's inability to recognize their position within the class system, often influenced by bourgeoisie control over information dissemination.
- Max Weber agreed with Marx's ideas but also highlighted inequalities of political power and social structure as sources of conflict.
- W.E.B. Du Bois: Examined race and conflict in the U.S. and colonies, highlighting the importance of a "reserve labor force" composed of Black men.
- Ida B. Wells: Examined competition within the feminist movement as women fought for suffrage.
- C. Wright Mills: Coined the term "sociological imagination" and used conflict theory to examine power systems and the formation of a power elite by government, the military, and corporations.
Symbolic Interactionist Theory
- Focuses on meanings attached to human interaction, both verbal and non-verbal, and to symbols.
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Description
This quiz explores the main branches of social science including economics, sociology, history, linguistics, geography, political science, and psychology. Additionally, it delves into the fundamentals of philosophy, encouraging critical thinking and exploration of fundamental truths. Test your understanding of these essential academic fields!
