Social Sciences: Development and Human Nature

• Social sciences explore human behavior and societies, including sociology, psychology, economics, political science, and anthropology

Development of Social Sciences

• Emerged from the Age of Enlightenment from the late 17th and 18th centuries
• The term "social science" was coined in French in 1767
• Social sciences began to form distinct disciplines in the 19th century
• Auguste Comte (1798-1857) introduced "sociology" as the scientific study of society
• Karl Marx (1818-1883) analyzed capitalism's effects on class relations, influencing economics and political science
• Experienced rapid growth and diversification in the 20th century

The Nature of Human Being

• The fundamental traits and behaviors shared by all humans
• Three main perspectives: philosophical, social science, and scientific (evolutionary biology)
• Examines morality, rationality, and free will with three views
• Aristotle viewed humans as political animals seeking community
• Kant stated that humans are rational beings capable of moral decisions
• The modern view states that human nature is not fixed and is influenced by environment, experiences, and culture
• Studies human behavior in cultural and societal contexts in social science
• Anthropology & Sociology: humans learn behavior from social interactions and cultural norms
• Explains human nature through evolution and adaptation in scientific evolutionary biology
• Charles Darwin's Evolutionary Theory explains human traits developed through natural selection for survival
• Intelligence, cooperation, and emotions helped early humans adapt
• Genetics & Neuroscience: human nature is influenced by both biology and environment
• Human nature is the general psychological characteristics, feelings, and behavioral traits shared by all humans
• Aquinas’s theory suggests humans are material beings composed of primary matter and human form that survive autonomously after death and attain perfection

Common Views

• Materialistic nature- lacking divine plan for earthly creation
• Spiritual being- neglecting the body to free the soul from materialism's shackles
• Intellectual beings, valuing intellect as the master of everything and the ultimate judge over revelation
• Sinful being- essential in human existence, as mankind inherited sin and is desperately looking for salvation

Religious Perspective

• Buddhism on Human Nature - Wheel of Dharma Includes the Four Noble Truths
• The Four Noble Truths; Dukka of Suffering, Samudaya- the cause, Nirodha- the end, and Magga- the path
• A new awakening can be reached called the Middle Way
• Founded in China, the main principle is ren or humaneness, Confucianism focuses on li, zhong, shu, and xiao, called constitute de
• Belief that humans can be perfected through personal and communal endeavors
• Hinduism, founded in India, is based on the belief of:Dharma (the ultimate moral balance), Karma (bearing consequences), Samsara (the cycle of life)
• Moksha is Hindu heaven and the Vedas are sacred scripture
• Islam views human nature as realistic and balanced, recognizing humans are equal in good and evil
• Emphasizes the interconnectedness of faith and action, with free-will being measured by actions
• Christians teach the doctrine of "original sin," stating all humans are born with an inherit sinful nature, regardless

Philosophical Perspective

• Plato believed that human nature is linked to the ability to think and act rationally
• Claims that the central struggle in life is controlling the physical through rational means
• Animals are viewed as without reason, requiring mechanistic explanation
• Genetics in the human body significantly influence an individual's behavior in the biological perspective

Philosophical Underpinnings

• Fundamental ideas and assumptions that shape our understanding of human behavior, culture, and societal structures
• Metaphysics: study of reality and existence with three Key branches of philosophy
• Epistemology: study of knowledge
• Ethics: study of moral principles and values
• Axiology: study of value, including aesthetics and ethics
• Ontology: study of the nature of being
• Empiricism suggests that knowledge comes primarily from sensory experience
• Rationalism argues that knowledge comes from reason and thought

Importance of Philosophical Underpinning

• Gives a solid base for understanding life
• Helps to figure out what's right or wrong, what's true or false, and how to think carefully about things
• Helps to make sense of the world
• Guides how we think, what we believe, and how we act in different situations
• Helps to answer big questions like "What is right?" or "What is real?"
• Helps to create rules, laws, and systems that work for everyone, making life more fair and organized
• Helps in guiding decision-making, improving critical thinking, clarifying values, shaping ethical behavior, understanding the world, promoting open-mindedness, and building stronger societies

Creationism vs. Evolutionism

• Creationism is the belief that the universe and living organisms originate from specific acts of divine creation
• Young Earth Creationism is a religious belief that the Earth and all life on it were created by a divine being, often God
• Old Earth Creationism combines special creation with scientific evidence that the Earth and universe are billions of years old
• Theistic creationism (or evolutionary creationism) believes that God created the universe through laws of nature
• Evolutionism is the scientific understanding that species change over time through natural selection, genetic mutation, and adaptation

Theories of Evolution

• Big Bang Theory proposed the universe's inception as a single point of infinite density and heat, and then expanded
• Charles Darwin introduced the theory of evolution by natural selection in his 1859 book, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection
• Organisms evolve to better survive in their environment, called Survival and Adaptaion
• Natural Selection: Traits that enhance survival and reproduction become more common over generations
• Genetic Mutations: Random mutations introduce new traits that may benefit the species
• Environmental Changes: Climate shifts, predators, and food availability drive evolution
• Natural Selection: Organisms with advantageous traits reproduce more successfully
• Mutation: DNA changes introduce variation within a species
• Genetic Drift: Random changes in a population's gene frequency
• Speciation: New species arise from genetic divergence

Types of Evolution

• Divergent evolution occurs when a single species branches off into more than one
• Convergent evolution occurs when separate species evolve similar traits due to having existed in a similar environment
• Coevolution occurs between species which influence each other
• Parallel evolution occurs between different species which have similar ancestors but maintain similar traits due to similar environments

Impact of Evolutionism

• Biology & Medicine- Helps in understanding diseases, virus mutations, and antibiotic resistance
• Genetics & Agriculture- Used in genetic modification (GMOs) and selective breeding
• Anthropology & Human Evolution- Provides insight into human ancestry
• Environmental Science- Explains species adaptation to climate change and habitat loss

Western vs. Eastern Views of the Human Being

• Eastern Views of the Human BeingIncludes Confucianism and Taoism
• Confucianism- Code of ethical content
• Focused on having a harmonious social life with self-cultivation - ultimate purpose of life "cultivated self" - subdued for the good of many
• Taoism- Living in the way of the Tao or universe
• Described as the "ideal self" which entails balanced life with society and nature
• Western Philosophies: Indivudlaism from the Greek Philosophers
• Taking roots in Rome and Christianity
• The main principle: self-dedication
• Focused on ethics
• Western Views of the Human Being does not include environment and society
• The focus is always on the self, creating an Individualistic view
• In Western views people look at the world in dualities
• They see themselves as distinct from the other person, the creator is separate from the object he created
• Emphasize more on the value of equality
• Promotes the ideals of 'fair' competition

Western Concept

• Refers to the cultural, philosophical, and societal understanding of human nature and existence
• Originated in Western Europe and has since spread to other parts of the world
• Including Rational Humanism, Existentialism, Liberalism, Christian Humanism being, and Postmodernism