To What Extent is the Purpose of an Area of Knowledge Fixed?

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This statement implies an assumption that areas of knowledge have one fixed purpose, however, I believe the purpose depends not on the area, but on the knower itself. Nevertheless, areas of knowledge do have some general tasks that differentiate them from each other, but these purposes may overlap. In order to investigate the actual purpose of the areas of knowledge History and Human Sciences I will attempt to answer the question ”To what extent is the purpose of an area of knowledge fixed?” To do so, first I will explain what their main purposes are as well as when these can change. Finally, I will discuss the data collection methodologies, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of the way each of the knowers in these two areas of knowledge collect data and how the ways of knowing language and reason play a role in the outcome of results.
In some cases, human sciences do aim to change the future. This area of knowledge draws back on previous knowledge as well as trends and patterns in order to make predictions about the future and, if possible, fix them. For example, in 2008, when the euro crisis began, most countries knew that this would impact them, and that they had to prevent that from occurring. It was then when the American central bank, the Federal Reserve, implemented a policy that was based on theories from previous studies, a monetary policy. It involved reducing interest rates in order to increase aggregate demand; in other words, it would keep people spending and money flowing . This policy would ultimately save the US economy from falling into deep recession. This example shows how in many cases the purpose of the human scientist is to change the future .
Additionally, as the statement suggests, a historian’s mai...

... middle of paper ...

...an aim to understand the past without having any further application in the future; likewise, historians can also study the past in order to predict or change the future.

Works Cited

Tragakes, Ellie. Economics for the IB Diploma. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2009. Print.
"Monetary Policy Releases." Federal Reserve Bank: 2008. Web
Tragakes, Ellie. Economics for the IB Diploma. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2009. Print.
Tragakes, Ellie. Economics for the IB Diploma. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2009. Print.
Cambridge Journals Online The Review of Politics - The Conservative Revolution of Edmund Burke. Jan. 1958.
Tragakes, Ellie. Economics for the IB Diploma. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2009. Print.
"Primary vs Secondary Sources." Princeton University. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.
"Primary vs Secondary Sources." Princeton University. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.

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