In academics and philosophy, the differences between natural science, social science, and
arts and humanities are primarily defined by their subject matter, methodological approach,
objectivity, and the nature of progress.
1. Subject Matter
● Natural Science: Focuses on the physical world and natural phenomena that exist
independently of human thought, such as atoms, planets, and non-human organisms 1,
2. It views reality as governed by spatial universal and temporally constant laws 3.
● Social Science: Studies human sociality, including how people interact, organize
themselves into groups (families, tribes, nations), and create systems like markets or
governments 4-7. It views man as an animal species but one with unique "multisocial"
characteristics 8, 9.
● Arts & Humanities: Focus on the complex psychological, cultural, and spiritual
dimensions of human life 10. This includes the study of literature, music, logic, and
philosophy, which focus on human internal experience and the creation of meaning 11,
12.
2. Methodology and Explanation
● Natural Science: Relies heavily on controlled experiments and mathematical models
to formulate "Laws" (e.g., Newtonian physics) 13, 14. The scientist acts as an external
observer 1, 15.
● Social Science: Uses a mixture of theoretical modeling and empirical evidence 16. It
makes limited use of controlled experiments because its objects of study are "open
systems" that are too complex and changing for strict laboratory settings 14, 17, 18. It
often relies on statistical and probabilistic laws to explain aggregate behavior rather
than individual acts 19, 20.
● Arts & Humanities: Employs hermeneutics and Verstehen (understanding) 21.
Instead of "explanation" (defining conditions of physical phenomena), the humanities
seek "understanding" of purposes, meanings, and historical contexts 22, 23. The
researcher is often a participant or "actor" in the same culture they study 24.
3. Mentation and Agency (The "Mind-Body" Problem)
● Natural Science: Generally adopts a mechanistic view where physical entities (like
rocks or masses) do not "decide" or "choose" their behavior 1, 25.
● Social Science: Must account for human consciousness (mentation). Many social
scientists argue that behavior cannot be explained without referring to mental inner
states like motives, choices, and expectations 1, 26.
● Arts & Humanities: Operates entirely within the realm of subjective experience and
mentation. It rejects the adoption of naturalistic models in favor of exploring the
"essences" of internal mental impressions 27, 28.
arts and humanities are primarily defined by their subject matter, methodological approach,
objectivity, and the nature of progress.
1. Subject Matter
● Natural Science: Focuses on the physical world and natural phenomena that exist
independently of human thought, such as atoms, planets, and non-human organisms 1,
2. It views reality as governed by spatial universal and temporally constant laws 3.
● Social Science: Studies human sociality, including how people interact, organize
themselves into groups (families, tribes, nations), and create systems like markets or
governments 4-7. It views man as an animal species but one with unique "multisocial"
characteristics 8, 9.
● Arts & Humanities: Focus on the complex psychological, cultural, and spiritual
dimensions of human life 10. This includes the study of literature, music, logic, and
philosophy, which focus on human internal experience and the creation of meaning 11,
12.
2. Methodology and Explanation
● Natural Science: Relies heavily on controlled experiments and mathematical models
to formulate "Laws" (e.g., Newtonian physics) 13, 14. The scientist acts as an external
observer 1, 15.
● Social Science: Uses a mixture of theoretical modeling and empirical evidence 16. It
makes limited use of controlled experiments because its objects of study are "open
systems" that are too complex and changing for strict laboratory settings 14, 17, 18. It
often relies on statistical and probabilistic laws to explain aggregate behavior rather
than individual acts 19, 20.
● Arts & Humanities: Employs hermeneutics and Verstehen (understanding) 21.
Instead of "explanation" (defining conditions of physical phenomena), the humanities
seek "understanding" of purposes, meanings, and historical contexts 22, 23. The
researcher is often a participant or "actor" in the same culture they study 24.
3. Mentation and Agency (The "Mind-Body" Problem)
● Natural Science: Generally adopts a mechanistic view where physical entities (like
rocks or masses) do not "decide" or "choose" their behavior 1, 25.
● Social Science: Must account for human consciousness (mentation). Many social
scientists argue that behavior cannot be explained without referring to mental inner
states like motives, choices, and expectations 1, 26.
● Arts & Humanities: Operates entirely within the realm of subjective experience and
mentation. It rejects the adoption of naturalistic models in favor of exploring the
"essences" of internal mental impressions 27, 28.
