SSP What is Philosophy?

WEEK 1 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL

SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY Quite literally, the term “philosophy” means, “love of
wisdom”. The word Philosophy has originated from 2
What Is Social Science? Greek words ‘philos’ which mean love and ‘sopia’
which means wisdom.
Social science is the study of how people interact with
one another. The branches of social science include In a broad sense, philosophy is an activity people
anthropology, economics, political science, undertake when they seek to understand fundamental
psychology, and sociology. truths about themselves, the world in which they live,
and their relationships to the world and to each other.
Social scientists study how societies work, exploring As an academic discipline philosophy is much the same.
everything from the triggers of economic growth and Those who study philosophy are perpetually engaged in
the causes of unemployment to what makes people asking, answering, and arguing for their answers to
happy. Their findings inform public policies, education life’s most basic questions. To make such a pursuit more
programs, urban design, marketing strategies, and many systematic academic philosophy is traditionally divided
other endeavors. into major areas of study.

Understanding Social Science The main branches of Philosophy are:

Social science as a field of study is separate from the 1. Axiology: Study of the nature of value and
natural sciences, which cover topics such as physics, valuation
biology, and chemistry. Social science examines the 2. Metaphysics: Study of the fundamental nature of
relationships between individuals and societies as well reality
as the development and operation of societies, rather 3. Epistemology: Study of the nature, origin, and
than studying the physical world. These academic limits of human knowledge
disciplines rely more heavily on interpretation and 4. Ethics Philosophy: Study of what is right and
qualitative research methodologies. wrong in human behavior
5. Aesthetics: Study of beauty and taste
Branches of Social Science 6. Logic Philosophy: Study of the nature and types
of logic
Some say there are seven social sciences, while others 7. Political Philosophy: Study of government,
claim there are four, five, six, or addressing questions about the nature, scope, and
something else. Opinions vary on what should be legitimacy of public agents and institutions.
included, yet most pundits agree that the
following five fields definitely fall into this category: Importance of the study of Social Science and
 Anthropology Philosophy
 Economics
 Political science Study of Social Science makes us an efficient citizen of
 Sociology a democracy, and it also helps us to solve the practical
 Social psychology problems in our daily life. It is essential for communities
and organizations. It also helps the students to know
Social Science Careers how different societies are managed, structured and
governed.
Typical careers in social science include working as an
advertiser, psychologist, teacher, lawyer, manager, Social sciences help people understand how to interact
social worker, and economist. with the social world—how to influence policy, develop
networks, increase government accountability, and
The subject matter of social science—human behavior, promote democracy. These challenges, for many people
relationships, attitudes, and how these things have around the world, are immediate, and their resolution
changed over time—is useful information for any can make a vast difference in people’s lives.
successful business to possess.

The concepts of social science, such as demography,

political science, and sociology, are frequently applied
in many different business contexts. For example,
advertising and marketing professionals often use
theories of human behavior from these fields to more
efficiently market their products to consumers.
WEEK 2 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT  The Age of Enlightenment emphasized the
process of rationalization.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN QUANTITATIVE AND  Separation between different social spheres
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN
The Rise of the Universities
 Education paved way to the rise of Social
Sciences
 Secular subjects proliferated universities
 Merchants and capitalists invested universities
and institutions because these are the training
ground for the future scientist, technocrats and
innovators
 Emile Durkheim – Father of Sociology – the
need to secularize education based on the need
of the society

The Dissolution of Feudal Society

 The emerging factory system led to the
dissolution of guilds and workers
 The unprecedented growth of urban centers due
to trade and commerce – (the cause of the study
of society)
 Gessellschaft replaced Gemeinschaft
 Capitalism replaced agricultural economy
(economic transaction over personal
relationship)

Trade and Commerce

The Historical Background of the Growth of Social  Travels of Marco Polo introduced Europeans to
Sciences Asia and China
 Columbus begun the exploration of America
Western Philosophies  Cross comparison (anthropology) of civilized
 The study of society, culture and politics were life of western to “savage” non-westerner.
based on social and political philosophy.  Harriet Martineau provided the model of the
 It was highly influenced by theological early stage of Western civilization
reasoning grounded in Revelation based on the
bible. The Rise of Individualism
 This was largely due to the dominance of  Commerce and trade introduced money and
religious worldview and authority during this banking system
time.  Money made possible the reduction of human
interaction to mere business-like.
The Unprecedented Growth of Science  George Simmel emphasized the growing
 The Scientific Revolution refers to historical depersonalization of life due to the introduction
changes in thought and belief, to changes in of money
social and institutional organization.  Individualism is simply the recognition of
 Newton’s Universal Laws of Motion, Bacon’s power of the individual to assert ones freedom
reasoning against given norms and structures of society.
 than imagination, Descartes’ separation of
physical over spiritual The Birth of Social Sciences as a Response to the Social
Turmoil
 Sociology is a branch of social science that
The Secularization of Learning and Education deals with the scientific study of human
 Modern period marked the growing triumph of interactions, social groups and institutions,
scientific method (Western Reasoning) over whole societies and the human world as such.
religious dogma.  Sociology does not only study the existing
 Reformation led by Martin Luther challenged social forms of interactions but also pursues the
the supremacy of the Catholic Church and investigation of the emergence of stable
democratized the interpretation of bible. structures that sustain such interactions.
The Birth of Social Sciences as a Response to the Social  He introduced the structural-functionalist
Turmoil perspective

Auguste Comte (1798-1857) WEEK 3 ANTHROPOLOGY AND THE STUDY

 Coined the term “sociology” but first used OF CULTURE
social physics Anthropology
 Introduced positivism as the school of thought  Antropos – human
that says science and its method is the only  Logos – study
valid way of knowing things
Literally then, Anthropology is the science of the nature
Harriet Martineau (1802-1876) of human beings.
 Founding mother of “sociology”
 Had a deep sociological insight that now called Oxford English Dictionary
as ethnography ‘the science of the nature of man embracing human
 Influenced by David Ricardo and Adam Smith physiology and psychology and their mutual bearing’.

Karl Marx (1818-1883) Webster's

 Introduced the materialist analysis of history ‘the study of man, the study of body and mind in their
which discounts religious and metaphysical interrelationships’
explanation
 Advocated the use scientific methods to Ember, Ember and Peregrine, 2010
uncover the deep structural ‘the study of people – their origins, their development
and contemporary variations wherever and whenever
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) they have been found on the face of the earth’
 Defended Sociology as separate from
psychology that society possesses a reality of its Archaeology - Examines the remains of ancient and
own, kind or class historical human populations to promote an
 Society exists prior and after human life. understanding of how humans have developed and
 Responsible for sociology in education, adapted to their environment.
religion and deviance
Cultural Anthropology - Promotes the study of a
society’s culture through their belief systems,
Max Weber (1864-1920)
practices and possessions.
 Pioneer of interpretive sociology
 Stressed the role of rationalization
Linguistic Anthropology - Focus on understanding
in the development of society language and its relation to culture.
 Bureaucracy efficiency is considered as the
supreme value
 Development of language
 Variation of languages.
The Birth of Social Sciences as a Response to the Social
 Relationship of language to culture.
Turmoil
 How languages are learned.
 Anthropology as a scientific discipline from
social philosophy and travelogues of Western
travelers Physical Anthropology
Study humans from a biological perspective.
 A science of holistic study of man
 Palaeoanthropology: Biological processes of
Franz Boas (1858-1942)
human adaptation.
 Father of Modern American Anthropology
 Rejected historical particularism of Darwin
 Human variation: Physiological differences
thus, promoted cultural relativism
among modern humans.
 Rejected biological basis of racism
 Primatology: Study of apes for clues about the
Branislow Malinowski (1884-1942)
human species.
 Contributed to Modern Anthropology
 Introduced Participant Observation and Applied Anthropology
Ethnography Analyze social, political and economic problems
and develop solutions.
Alfred Radcliffe-Brown (1881-1955) Example: Cultural anthropologists have been
 He saw individuals as mere products of social instrumental in promoting the welfare of tribal and
structures. indigenous peoples.
 Definition of Sociology
Culture  A science which studies human civilization
 It refers to every action a person has, does and  Systematic study of groups and societies people
learns as a member of a society. build and how these affect their behavior
 It is also a powerful agent in shaping man’s  Focuses on various social connections,
decisions and actions institutions, organizations, structures and
processes
Material Culture  Gathers social inputs which are composed of
 Includes all the tangible and visible parts of frequent forms and manners
culture.
Example: clothes, food, buildings and properties Importance of Sociology
 Obtain possible theories and principles about
Nonmaterial Culture society as well as various aspects of social life
 Includes all the intangible and invisible parts  Study the nature of humanity and examine our
of culture. roles within the society
Example: values, ideas, and knowledge  Appreciate that all things are interdependent
with each other
Methods Used in Anthropology  Broaden our familiarity on sociological facts
 Expose our minds regarding the different
It is holistic in the sense that it studies perspectives on attaining the truth
1. Ethnography Areas of Sociology
2. Participant Observation
3. Interview Relationship of Sociology to Other Social Sciences
4. Focused Group Discussion
5. Life History Method  History - data and information collected by
6. Ocular Inspection historians are used in Sociology to observe
human behavior
Anthropology in the 21st Century  Political Science - politicians analyzes social
It is holistic in the sense that it studies
behavior for both political and policy-making
1. humans, both as biological and social creatures,
purposes
2. human behavior from the time the
 Economics – analysis on economic activities
species existed to the time it will desist,
(such as GNP, savings, etc..) is based on
individual behaviors and social interactions
3. human behavior from all region of the
world, and  Anthropology - tackles socio-cultural behavior
like the effects of ethnicity, language or religion
4. All forms of human actions and beliefs.
to the way of life of an individual
WEEK 3 Introduction to Sociology  Psychology -psychologists gather pertinent
data like the social structure and cultural
background to study a person’s behavior
 Definition of Sociology
 Importance of Sociology
Evolution of Sociology
 Areas of Sociology
 Relationship of Sociology to other Social French Revolution (1787-1799) changed the order of
Sciences the social classes in France through a series of social and
 Evolution of Sociology political upheavals aimed at overthrowing the monarchy
Definition of Sociology Industrial Revolution (1800s) was the transition
movement from agricultural works and hand production
Derived from the Latin word socius, meaning to manufacturing processes
"associate" and the Greek word logos, meaning “study
of knowledge” Evolution of Sociology
Coined by August Comte (1798-1857), regarded as the August Comte (1798-1857)
“father of sociology”  Scientific methods should be applied in
studying society
 Two specific problems for sociological
investigations:
  Social statics - pertains to the problems of order state with other sovereign states abroad”-
and stability Palispis, 2009
 Social dynamics - refers to the problem of
social change  “the primary goal of Political Science is
Citizenship Education” – Ricardo Lazo
Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)
Political Science Concepts
 Famous for coining the expression, “Survival of
the Fittest” Politics means…
 The evolution of societies is based on the
principles of natural law Alfred Boyer
 Change is inevitable Politics is the interaction between the civil society
 Societies must adapt to their surroundings and and the government in the activity of governance
compete to survive
Max Weber
Karl Marx (1818-1883) Politics is the exercise of power within state
Conflict Theory
David Easton
 Societies develop through class conflicts Politics is the authoritative allocation of scarce values
 The struggle between the proletariat and the
bourgeoisie due to the exploitation of the latter Power – it implies the capacity to direct and influence
the decision of others
to the former is essential in provoking social
change
State – an intangible political entity that consists four
 The only way for the laborers to have a better
elements: territory, government, people and sovereignty
social condition is through social revolution
 It is independent from external control
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
Structural Functionalism Theory  May consists of many nations

STATE - politically organized body of people

 Society is composed of harmonious elements
occupying a definite territory, exercising sovereignty
such as individuals, organizations and social
and controlled by the government. (Political Concept)
institutions
 These elements must perform their functions
NATION - people that share same history, traditions or
according to their role in the society
language (Ethnic Concept)
 If these elements are not in the state of
equilibrium, then, dysfunction may occur
THE STATE FORMATION
 By declaration of war or revolution
 By peaceful protest
WEEK 4 Political Science and the Study of Politics
 By partition
Political Science  By union of geographically located countries
POLIS – city-state in Greece
SCIRE – to know ELEMENTS OF THE STATE

Aims to know the activities within the state PEOPLE/ CITIZENS - A group of people that occupies
 Human interaction and conflict a particular territory or country. It is also synonymous
to nation
 Human and state relations
 Power distribution
TERRITORY - An area of land that belongs to or is
controlled by a government.
Political Science
 Terrestrial
 “the study of governments, public policies
 Fluvial
and political processes, systems, and
political behavior” - American Political  Aerial
Science Association,2013  Territorial Seas
 Seabed and Subsoil
 “a systematic study of a state and its
government, with the relationship of men in the
community, with relations of men and groups
to the state itself and with the relations of a
SOVEREIGNTY - It refers to the country’s Where Psychology Comes from: A History
independent authority and the right to govern itself
1. Ancient Contributors to Psychology
 Internal Sovereignty
 External Sovereignty  Greek- Aristotle & Plato; Hippocrates,
 Roman- Galen
GOVERNMENT - It refers to a complex political  Socrates
institution headed by people who control and make o Introspection
China- Confucius (551-479)
Muslim scholars- Al Kindi (801-866)
WEEK 4 What Is Psychology? - Al- Tabari (838-870)

What is Psychology? 2. Psychology as a Laboratory Science

 Psychology is the scientific study of behavior John Stuart Mill

and mental processes. -- A System of Logic (1843)
 Psychology Is an Empirical Science: Wilhelm Wundt – founded modern experimental
Psychological science relies on empirical psychology
evidence as a way of knowing about how we - First psychology laboratory (1879)
think, feel, and behave
3. Experimental Psychology begins with
Goals of Psychology Structuralism
Psychology seeks to
 describe  Edward Titchener, Wundt’s student
 explain  Structuralism breaks conscious experiences
 predict, and into
 influence behavior and mental processes o objective sensations (sight or taste),
and
What Psychologists Do o subjective feelings (emotions,
memories, dreams)
What Do Psychologists Do?  Mind functions by combining objective and
subjective elements of experience
1. Research
 Pure research, or basic 4. Functionalism
 Applied research  William James
2. Practice (clinical, counseling)  Functionalism focused on behavior in addition
3. Teaching to mind and consciousness
 Used direct observations to supplement
Fields of Psychology introspection
 Clinical  Influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution or
 Counseling natural selection
 School
 Educational 5. Behaviorism
 Developmental  John Broadus Watson
 Personality
 Social  Behaviorism focuses on learning observable
 Environmental (measurable) behavior
 Experimental  B.F. Skinner
- Learned behavior is behavior that is reinforced
 Industrial
- Beyond Freedom and Dignity (1971)
- Organizational
- Human Factors
6. Gestalt Psychology
 Consumer
Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler (1920s)
 Health Gestalt focused on perception and its influence
 Sport on thinking and problem solving
 Forensic - Perception are more than sum of their parts
- Active and purposeful
- Insight learning
The Importance of Context Divisions of Economics
Microeconomics
 Study of how households and firms make
decisions and how they interact in specific
markets
 Adam Smith - most popular personality in
microeconomics; author of The Wealth of
Nations; postulated the concept of the “invisible
hand”

Some Insight Into Insight Microeconomics

 The Invisible Hand concept - asserts that as
individuals selfishly pursue their personal
interests they unintentionally bring about
effects that are beneficial for the whole
community

Macroeconomics
 Study of economy-wide phenomena
 Examines the overall level of a nation’s output,
employment and prices
 John Maynard Keynes - pioneered the study
of macroeconomics as a subfield of economics
10. Psychoanalysis in 1936
Sigmund Freud
Psychoanalysis WEEK 5 HISTORY
- Influence of unconscious motives and conflicts THE FOUNDATIONS OF HISTORY
- Theory of personality
- Therapy  History Defined
 Purposes of Studying History
WEEK 5 The Study of Economics  Sources of Historical Data
Basic Concepts of Economics  External and Internal Criticisms
Definition of Economics He who does not know how to look back at where he
- Study of how societies use scarce resources to came from will never get to his destination.
produce valuable commodities and distribute
them among different people with various need DEFINITIONS
- Study of how individuals within a society  It is a discipline which deals with the study of
generally make choices that involve the use of significant events in the past in order to
scarce resources from among alternative wants ascertain the truth.
that need to be satisfied
 It refers to the study of chronological events
- Scientific study of the choices made by
that happened in the past. It is also a descriptive
individuals and societies in regard to the
study of recorded events.
alternative uses of scarce resources which are
 It is the study of texts which are presented in
employed to satisfy wants and needs
narrative form.
Basic Concepts of Economics
PURPOSES
Scarcity
 It narrates the events that happened in the past
 The limited nature of society’s resource
in order to understand the present and somehow
 An economic condition wherein there is no
predict and/or influence the future.
enough resources to satisfy all the demands of
 It helps us understand people and societies
the people
because it offers a wide range of information on
how people and societies behave.
Importance of Studying Economics
 It teaches us to appreciate our heritage in a
 Economics affects daily life
broad perspective.
 Economics helps render more informed
 It enables us to think critically.
decisions
 Makes us more effective citizens
SOURCES OF HISTORICAL DATA
Written sources
 Primary – by-products of events that have
taken place

 Secondary – materials that interpret and

analyze primary sources

Orally transmitted materials

 Unwritten historical accounts which are passed
on from generation to generation through word
of mouth.

SOURCES OF HISTORICAL DATA

Artistic production
- Historical sources that are in the form of visual
arts and sculptures.

Electronic data
- Historical sources that can be acquired from
films, documentaries, television shows, etc.

Relics and remains

- Historical sources that can be extracted from
artifacts, fossils, bones, potteries, etc.

CRITICISMS OF HISTORICAL SOURCES

External criticism
- It examines the material authenticity of a
source.
- It focuses on the physical attributes of the
recovered materials of the past.

Internal criticism
- It verifies the authenticity of the available
information provided by the source.
- Sources are mostly in the forms of writing and
dialogue/discourse.