1. Foundations of Social
Science
HSP 3ME
Mrs. Bradford

2. Review:
• Most of what we hear or
believe about human
behaviour is not true
• We need to explore the
ideas we accept as truth to
gain accurate perspectives
of the world around us

3. Origins of Social Science
• People have always wondered why we
behave the way we do, but the reasons
behind this behaviour has changed
• Pre-1700 Europe was experiencing the
“Dark Ages” - believed to be a time of
backwardness and ignorance
- Explanations used to be a matter of
faith, NOT fact…

4. Faith NOT fact = False
A balance of elements in the body

5. Faith NOT fact = False
The alignment of the planets, sun, moon and
other heavenly bodies

6. Faith NOT fact = False
Religion

7. The 1700’s are known as
the Age of Enlightenment
– leaders looked back to
the ‘darkness’ of past (
period of the unknown) and
wanted to shed light
(knowledge) on Know then thyself,
society, thus giving rise to presume not God to scan
change and allow progress The proper study of Mankind is
for the future Man.
Alexander Pope (1688-1744), An
Essay on Man.

8. The Origins of Social Science
Knowledge = Rational Thought
Two Branches of Development of Knowledge
Physical Science Pre-Social Science
- i.e. Isaac Newton discovers - Philosophers concentrated
Law of Gravity, using on criticizing ignorance,
reasonand experiment intolerance, superstition
INSTEAD they asked
questions about human
behaviour

9. Origins of Social Science

10. Origins of Social Science
• … therefore, asking questions about human
behaviour and studying humans using reason and
scientific method, forms the basis for the scientific
study of social behaviour and gives us, the origins of
social science!
Physical Science
+
Philosophy (Pre-Social Science)
=
Social Science

11. What is Social Science anyway?
• http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=DSIdaTSG2Gg