Theories in the Human Sciences and Natural Sciences

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What it is about the theories of human sciences and natural sciences that make them so convincing?

When focusing on the human sciences and natural sciences, one might wonder why we believe what we believe. In general, human science can be defined as a social science, or anything that deals with human behavior in its social and cultural aspects (Bastian 190). Natural science is more often thought of as "regular" science. It is an organized undertaking that focuses on gathering knowledge about the world and condensing that knowledge into scientific laws and theories that can be tested (Bastian 153). Theories in these two types of sciences are often convincing because of the observation that takes place, the empirical evidence, and the ability to put the theories and laws to the test. This knowledge by description, which is defined as public knowledge that is expressed as facts, as well as knowledge by acquaintance, knowledge from familiarity or experience, can also be contributing factors in why we believe what we believe (Bastian 18). However, there are some knowledge issues, as well as counterclaims that may interfere with someone’s belief and perspective on a certain topic. Also, some of our ways of knowing can play a role in different interpretations of theories in these sciences. These aspects can help answer the topic question of what it is about the theories of human sciences and natural sciences that make them so convincing.

In science, a theory is a tested and testable idea which is used to provide an explanation for an occurrence (Scientific Laws and Theories). Very similarly, a law can be defined as a set of observations that are expressed in an abridged statement (Scientific). An example of a law in nat...

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..., whether that is through their own observations and interpretations or through empirical evidence that can be convincingly backed up by scientific data.

Works Cited

Bastian, Sue. Theory of Knowledge. IB Diploma ed. Pearson Education Limited, 2008. Print. Pearson Baccalaureate.

"Convince Me: How Strong Is the Evidence?" Understanding Science. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. .

"Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation." The Physics Classroom. Web. 10 Jan. 2012. .

Schultheis, Erin. "Harry F. Harlow." Psychology History. May 1999. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. .

"Scientific Laws and Theories." College of Science and Mathematics. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. .

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