The Difference Between Anthropology, Philosophy, Psychology And Sociology | The Odyssey Online
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The Difference Between Anthropology, Philosophy, Psychology And Sociology

"Aren't they like the same thing?"

Sam Gro
Sep 02, 2016
University of North Florida
17803
The Difference Between Anthropology, Philosophy, Psychology And Sociology
Spark Notes

If you are in college, chances are you know someone who is majoring in one of these four sciences.

But are they even sciences? How are they different from each other?

According to Wikipedia, there are four major branches of science:

- Natural Sciences

- Formal Sciences

- Applied Sciences

- Social Sciences

I know you could have found this information yourself. But do you know what any of it means?

Reading further you will find:

- Physics, Biology, and Chemistry are Natural Sciences

- Mathematics and Statistics are Formal Sciences

- Robotics, Aerospace, and Dentistry are Applied Sciences

- Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology are Social Sciences

Okay, but what is a Social Science? And what happened to Philosophy?

The Long Answer?

- Anthropology involves studying the "different aspects of the human experience."

- Philosophy involves studying the "most general and abstract features of the world and categories with which we think."

- Psychology involves studying the "causes and consequences of behavior."

- Sociology involves studying the "social lives of people, groups, and societies."

- Social Sciences are "a group of academic disciplines that examine society and how people interact and develop as a culture."

The Short Answer?

- Anthropology is the study of humanity.

- Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior.

- Philosophy is the study of knowledge.

- Sociology is the study of society.

The Actual Answer?

There is not one. There are many. It is complicated, okay!

"As fields of study, the humanities emphasize analysis and exchange of ideas rather than the creative expression of the arts or the quantitative explanation of the sciences."

And guess what falls under Humanities? Philosophy! So it might not even be a science. Well, according to Julian Friedland anyways.

But Anthropology is a science, right? Nope! Well, maybe. It has "origins in the natural sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences."

Some even believe Psychology is not a science. For example, Alex B. Berezow.

But we know people really believe in this stuff. For example, Erin Bisesti with Sociology.

Conclusion?

Share this article and hope someone knows.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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