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Introduction to Human Sciences (From TOK Guide):
A fundamental difference between human sciences and natural sciences is in the interpretation of the word “science”. The human sciences might be classified as science because they use the scientific method to test the validity and reliability of hypotheses. However, unlike the natural sciences, the phenomena they try to explain might not possess hard and fast laws that admit no exceptions. They might therefore resort to statistical methods to establish their findings, producing knowledge that is less reliable in terms of issuing predictions.
History:
History:
From The IB TOK Guide:
What is unique about the methodology of history? Is eyewitness testimony a reliable source of evidence? How do we decide which events are historically significant?
History is an area of knowledge that studies the recorded past. It raises knowledge questions such as whether it is possible to talk meaningfully about a historical fact and what such a fact might be, or how far we can speak with certainty about anything in the past. Studying history also deepens our understanding of human behaviour, as reflecting on the past can help us to make sense of the present.
Documentary evidence plays an important role in history, which raises questions about the basis for judgments of reliability of that evidence. The individual historian also plays an important role in history and in the 20th century there was much debate over whether historical facts exist independently of historians. Some argue that there is always a subjective element in historical writing because historians are influenced by the historical and social environment in which they are writing and this unavoidably affects their selection and interpretation of evidence.
History:
You might have heard about the notion that the winners of a war write the history books. What do we think they are likely to record. Should it be called a fact? You should ask yourself whether it is possible to be objective when writing about history. The historian Max Weber thought that it was not. He argued that in every situation there were endless things that could be described. The fact of having to choose which ones to discuss already stopped one from being objective. After all, focussing on role of one person rather than another will affect how the past is perceived.
The Problem of Observation and Human Sciences
In order to gather data and research a topic we often have to observe human behaviour. However when people are being observed they often behave differently. This is the so called
How could we attempt to reduce this influence, and gain more reliable data?
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