Discipline and Ideas in

the Social Sciences

Emergence of the Social

Science Disciplines

Quarter 1- Week 4
Module 4

Most Essential Learning Competency:

Explain the major events and its contribution that led to the
emergence of the Social Science disciplines.

1
 Lesson Historical Background of Social
1 Science Disciplines

The emergence of Social Science traces its root from the Age
of Enlightenment (17th- 19th century). The Age of Enlightenment, also known
as the “Age of Reason”, is a period in Western history when philosophers
especially in Britain and France, tried to use reason to understand and
improve society, government and humanity (Perry, 1989, p. 407). This period
stimulated interest in studying human society and behavior in a scientific way.
The need to examine society, politics, history and economic life paved the way
for the birth of social sciences.
The term “Social Science” only appeared until the 19th to mid-20th
century (New World Encyclopedia, 2020). It initially appeared in 1842 in the
book, An Inquiry into the Principles of the Distribution of Wealth Most
Conducive to Human Happiness by William Thompson (1775-1833). The term
“social science” has cometo refer generally to all disciplines that analyze
society and culture; from anthropology to political science to linguistics.

EMERGENCE OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES

Let us look back on the events and the people who shaped and laid the
foundations for the nine disciplines of Social Sciences.

1. Anthropology (study of humanity). •The emergence of anthropology as a

discipline can be traced on the Ancient Greece during the time of
Herodotus (484- 425 BC) (dela Cruz et al., 2016, p. 23). When Herodotus
recorded important events in the Greek- Persian Wars, he took to
account the cultural background of Greece and Persia.
•The study of anthropology was advanced by Franz Boas (1858-1942),
known as the "Father of Modern Anthropology". Boas introduced the
concept of cultural relativism which is a point of view that sees all cultures
to be equal with each other. There is no such thing as superior or inferior
culture (Riodique, 2016, p. 67). He is also one of the pioneers who
fought discrimination againts immigrants, blacks and indigenous peoples
of America. Boas believed that through anthropology, people would
have a wider understanding of human interaction by studying its
culture. His social reforms and theories were adopted by antropologists today.

2. Demography. The study of human population has its roots as early as the
ancient period. Kautilya, a contemporary of Plato, believed that a large
population is a source of military, political and economic strength of a nation.
(dela Cruz et al., 2016, p. 35). This was also supported by Ibn
Khaldin, a 14th century Arab historian, who believed that a large
population is important for expansion of imperial power. However, this
thinking was also reversed when an increase in population growth is seen
as a threat in developing countries.

2
•Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834) an economist and writer of An Essay on the
Principle of Population (1798) declared that population increases at a faster rate than
the food supply. As a result, humanity is never far from starvation.
•John Graunt (1623-1687) is regarded as the founder of demography. His
book Natural and Political Observations Made Upon the Bills of Mortality
(1662) laid the foundation for modern statistics and demography.
3. Economics (study of efficient allocation of scarce resources)
• The period of Enlightenment has inspired the birth of Economics (dela
Cruz et al., 2016, p. 26). Adam Smith (1723-1790) regarded as the Father of
Economics is credited for creating the field of Economics. His book entitled An
Inquiry to the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776) lay the
foundations for economic theories and doctrine. Smith advocated the doctine of
laissez faire (let-alone policy) which means that government should not interfere
with business. This paved the way for the creation of a free-market economy.
• The Industrial Revolution (1760-1840), a period in history characterized by rapid
industrialization and urbanization brought about by the advances in technology,
saw the development of new economic theories. 19th century thinkers spent a
great deal in offering solutions to the impact of industrialization.
•David Ricardo (1772-1823) applied the principles of laissez
faire to wages to maximize profit while Karl Marx (1818-1883) advocated socialism to
protect the rights of the laborers from the abuses of the capitalists. Ricardo and Marx were
two of the pioneers who developed economic theories as a response to the impact of
industrialization
Adam Smith (1723-1790) regarded as the Father of Economics is credited for
creating the field of Economics. His book entitled An Inquiry to the Nature and
Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776) lay the foundations for economic
theories and doctrine. Smith advocated the doctine of laissez faire (let-alone policy)
which means that government should not interfere with business. This paved the
way for the creation of a free-market economy.
• The Industrial Revolution (1760-1840), a period in history characterized by rapid
industrialization and urbanization brought about by the advances in technology,
saw the development of new economic theories. 19th century thinkers spent a
great deal in offering solutions to the impact of industrialization.
•David Ricardo (1772-1823) applied the principles of laissez
faire to wages to maximize profit while Karl Marx (1818-1883) advocated
socialism to protect the rights of the laborers from the abuses of the capitalists.
Ricardo and Marx were two of the pioneers who developed economic theories as a
response to the impact of industrialization.
. 4. Geography (study of the interaction between the natural environment and
the people living in it). It was during the Hellenistic Age (323 BC-30 BC), a period
when Greek cultural influence and power reached the peak of its geographical
expansion, that the science of geography emerged.
• Eratosthenes (276-194 BC), chief librarian of the Alexandria Library,
pioneered the study of geography. He is the first person to use the term "geography"
and is also regarded as the "Father of Geography".

He is also best known for being the first person to calculate the circumference of
the earth. He also created the first global projection of the world using parallels and
meridians based on the available geographic knowldedge during his time (Britannica,
2020). He also wrote the three-book volume Geographika, a compilation of his
study on the nature of the surface of the earth focusing on the inhabited portions and
the people living in it. His book became the inspiration for the consequent works and
studies of other geographers.

5. History (study of important recorded events)

• Herodotus (484-425 BC) is considered as the "Father of History". He is
credited as the first historian to employ historical methods in writing history. His
vivid account of the Greek-Persian Wars set a new standard then for reporting
3
  Thucydides (460-400 BC) improved the writing techniques of Herodotus
and emphasized on factual reporting when he recorded the events during
the Peloponnesian War. (Perry, 1989, p. 84). He applied strict standards of
impartiality and evidence gathering to establish facts.
6. Linguistics (the scientific study of language). The science of linguistics has been
pioneered by the Sophists during ancient Greece. Sophists are teachers who
traveled from city to city teaching speech, grammar, poetry, gymnastics,
mathematics and music to the Athenian youth (Perry, 1989, p. 87). It is believed then that
when a person masters the art of public speaking, they have a higher chance to
succeed in politics.
Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) laid the foundation of western linguistics
as part of the study of rhetoric on his book Poetics
Noam Chomsky (1928- ) regarded as the Father of Linguistics has published books
in linguistics and became a dominant model of formal linguistics in recent decades
(Britannica, 2020).

7. Political Science (study of politics, power and government) Analysis of

politics started as early as the times of Confucius (551- 479 BC) in ancient China and
of Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle in ancient Greece.
Plato (427-347 BC) was the first thinker to analyze political systems. He
expressed his political ideas in his book, the Republic, which is a description of an
ideal state (Perry, 1989, p. 89). While Aristotle (384-322 BC) is regarded as the
Father of Political Science, Plato is considered a pioneer in the field of political inquiry.
His book entitled Politics looked at different forms of government in terms of
how they were run and what benefits and responsibilities their citizens had. His
political views became a source of inspiration to political thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes
and John Locke.
On the other hand, John Locke (1632-1704) wrote Two Treatises of
Government. He believes that the purpose of the government is to protect the
“natural rights” of its citizens. According to Locke, all people are born free and
equal with a right to life, liberty, property and pursuit of happiness. He also
believed that if a government fails to protect the rights of its citizens, the
people have the right or duty to overthrow the government and establish
a better one. Locke’s theory of government was immensely influential in
modern political thinking. His principle that government derives its
power from the consent of the people became the foundation of modern
democracy.

8. Psychology (study of behavior and mental processes) The development of

psychology could be dated back as early as the ancient Greece when Aristotle (384-322
BC) claimed that the brain is the seat of the rational human mind. The science of
psychology was founded by Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920), a German psychologist and is
considered as the Father of Modern Psychology. He distinguished psychology as a science
from philosophy and biology. He was also the first person to ever call himself a
“psychologist”. Wundt also founded the first formal laboratory for psychological research.
Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), a Russian experimentalscientist, studied the behavior and
nervous system of animals. He found that an animal’s involuntary actions- its reflexes
could be changed, or conditioned through training.

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), an Austrian neurologist pursued to understand the

workings of an unconscious mind, which he deemed to be the source of human actions.
Freud developed the method known as psychoanalysis, in which mental and emotional

4
 problems and disorders are treated by trying to discover their sources in the unconscious
mind (Perry, 1989, p. 627).

9. Sociology (study of social interactions)

The science of sociology was born as a result of social changes brought about by the
impact of Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution created massive changes not only
in the field of technology and manufacturing processes, but also in the work and living pattern of
the people. Factory life pulled people away from their homes, changed their work schedule
and weakened their family ties (dela Cruz et al., 2016, p. 34). Given the existing condition, it
required a new way of thinking to understand society and improve social interactions. The term
sociology was invented by a French philosopher, Auguste Comte (1798-1857). He
emphasized that the study of society must be scientific. Comte favored positivism, which is
a way of understanding that is based on science. He envisioned a process of social
change in which sociologists play important roles in guiding society (Deray et al., 2011, p. 21).
Aside from Comte, Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) and Max Weber (1864-1920) were also
considered as pioneer thinkers in sociology in the early 1900’s. They did careful research,
gathered information, and analyzed their findings in attempts to find out what factors affect the
ways people behave in groups. Durkheim argued that sociology should be the study of social
facts. This is the method he used in studying why people commit suicides. Weber, on the other
hand advocated a value-free sociology, which means it has to be approached without the
personal bias of the sociologist. He believed that people must be critical in their concepts
and evidences, and they must follow strict logical principles in their reasoning.

ACTIVITY: Data Retrieval Chart

Directions:
1. Fill-up the data retrieval chart below.
2. Answer the following guide questions on a separate sheet of paper.

Discipline Founder Major Event that led to the

emergence of the discipline
1. Anthropology
2. Demography
3. Economics
4. Geography
5. History
6. Linguistics

5
7. Political Science
8. Psychology
9. Sociology

Critical Thinking Questions:

1. What common pattern have you observed that led to the emergence of each
discipline in the social sciences? What do you think is the ultimate reason for the
emergence of disciplines in social sciences?
2. Which event in world history do you think made a huge impact on the
development of social sciences? Why?
3. What social science discipline is most fascinated to study? Why?

POST TEST

Directions: Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on
a separate sheet of paper.
1. The sudden popularity of the social media app Tiktok and the increased
subscription to the online streaming device such as Netflix during the pandemic are
manifestation of how Filipino’s cope up to protect their mental health against depression and
anxiety. This phenomenon is related and best explained by which discipline in the social
sciences?
a. Economics b. Geography c. Psychology d. Sociology
2. The Pomeranian pet dog of Francis always wags his tail whenever he comes home.
This automatic response of the dog whenever his owner arrives at home is best
explained by which psychologist?
b. Ivan Pavlov c. Wilhelm Wundt c.
Sigmund Freud d. William James
3. Which of the following reasons best explains why most disciplines in the social
sciences originated in ancient Greece?
a. Ancient Greeks considered themselves superior to other races.
b. Ancient Greece is known for its outstanding contributions in different fields of
learning.
c. Ancient Greece is composed of different city-states such as Athens and
Sparta with different forms of government.
d. Ancient Greeks were known to be inquisitive with high desire to explore,
analyze and investigate phenomena and issues.
4. The big population brought negative impact in our economy during the pandemic
crisis. It makes difficult for the government to provide assistance such as the Social
Amelioration Program (SAP). The limited resources of the government are not enough
to cover the needs of millions of Filipinos. This scenario of mismatch between
resources and population is associated to the study of ___________.
a. Aristotle c. John Graunt
b. David Ricardo d. Thomas Robert Mathus
5. The rise of strong leaders in the global politics such as Pres. Xi JinPing of China,
Pres. Vladimir Putin of Russia and Pres. Rodrigo Duterte who are known for their
brand of decisive and strong leadership is reflective to the political views of
___________.
a. John Locke c. Thomas Hobbes b. Jean
Jacques Rousseau d. Wilhelm Wundt

6
7
8
9
.

10
11
8

12
 ACTIVITY

Activity 1.1. Data Retrieval Chart

Objective: Trace the historical foundations that paved the way for the growth of social
science disciplines.
Directions:
1. Fill-up the data retrieval chart below.
2. Answer the following guide questions on a separate sheet of paper.

Discipline Founder Major Event that led to the

emergence of the discipline
1. Anthropology
2. Demography
3. Economics
4. Geography
5. History
6. Linguistics
7. Political Science
8. Psychology
9. Sociology

Critical Thinking Questions:

1. What common pattern have you observed that led to the emergence of each
discipline in the social sciences? What do you think is the ultimate reason for the
emergence of disciplines in social sciences?
2. Which event in world history do you think made a huge impact on the
development of social sciences? Why?
3. What social science discipline are you most fascinated to study? Why?
11

13
 POST TEST
Directions: Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on
a separate sheet of paper.
1. The sudden popularity of the social media app Tiktok and the increased
subscription to the online streaming device such as Netflix during the
pandemic are manifestation of how Filipino’s cope up to protect their mental health
against depression and anxiety. This phenomenon is related and best explained by
which discipline in the social sciences?
a. Economics b. Geography c. Psychology d. Sociology

2. The Pomeranian pet dog of Francis always wags his tail whenever he comes home.
This automatic response of the dog whenever his owner arrives at home is best
explained by which psychologist?
b. Ivan Pavlov c. Wilhelm Wundt c.
Sigmund Freud d. William James
3. Which of the following reasons best explains why most disciplines in the social
sciences originated in ancient Greece?
a. Ancient Greeks considered themselves superior to other races.
b. Ancient Greece is known for its outstanding contributions in different fields of
learning.
c. Ancient Greece is composed of different city-states such as Athens and
Sparta with different forms of government.
d. Ancient Greeks were known to be inquisitive with high desire to explore,
analyze and investigate phenomena and issues.
4. The big population brought negative impact in our economy during the pandemic
crisis. It makes difficult for the government to provide assistance such as the Social
Amelioration Program (SAP). The limited resources of the government are not enough
to cover the needs of millions of Filipinos. This scenario of mismatch between
resources and population is associated to the study of ___________.
a. Aristotle c. John Graunt
b. David Ricardo d. Thomas Robert Mathus
5. The rise of strong leaders in the global politics such as Pres. Xi JinPing of China,
Pres. Vladimir Putin of Russia and Pres. Rodrigo Duterte who are known for their
brand of decisive and strong leadership is reflective to the political views of
___________.
a. John Locke c. Thomas Hobbes b. Jean
Jacques Rousseau d. Wilhelm Wundt

14
2. The Pomeranian pet dog of Francis always wags his tail whenever he comes home.
This automatic response of the dog whenever his owner arrives at home is best
explained by which psychologist?
b. Ivan Pavlov c. Wilhelm Wundt c.
Sigmund Freud d. William James
3. Which of the following reasons best explains why most disciplines in the social
sciences originated in ancient Greece?
a. Ancient Greeks considered themselves superior to other races.
b. Ancient Greece is known for its outstanding contributions in different fields of
learning.
c. Ancient Greece is composed of different city-states such as Athens and
Sparta with different forms of government.
d. Ancient Greeks were known to be inquisitive with high desire to
explore, analyze and investigate phenomena and issues.
4. The big population brought negative impact in our economy during the
pandemic crisis. It makes difficult for the government to provide assistance such as
the Social Amelioration Program (SAP). The limited resources of the government
are not enough to cover the needs of millions of Filipinos. This scenario of
mismatch between resources and population is associated to the study of
___________.
a. Aristotle c. John Graunt
b. David Ricardo d. Thomas Robert Mathus
5. The rise of strong leaders in the global politics such as Pres. Xi JinPing of China,
Pres. Vladimir Putin of Russia and Pres. Rodrigo Duterte who are known for
their brand of decisive and strong leadership is reflective to the political views of
___________.
a. John Locke c. Thomas Hobbes b.
Jean Jacques Rousseau d. Wilhelm Wundt

15
14

16
17
 REFLECTIVE LEARNING SHEET

Name _______________________________________ Grade and Section

______________ School: ______________________ Date: __________ Subj.
Teacher: _______________

Quarter: 1st Module No.: 4 Week No.: 4

MELC: Explain the major events that led to the emergence of the social science
disciplines.
Objectives:
1. Appreciate the relevance of social science disciplines in our everyday life. 2.
Create a journal entry reflecting the emergence and significance of Social
Science disciplines to our everyday life.

Topic: Historical Background of Social Science Disciplines

Journal Entry

Directions: Based on what you have learned from the lesson, create a journal entry
based on the guide questions below, which are all related to Social Science disciplines.
Write your journal entry on a separate sheet of paper.

1. The disciplines in social sciences emerged from the different periods in history.
What have you learned on the reasons behind the development of these
disciplines? What life lesson can we learn from this?
2. Upon learning the historical foundation of the nine disciplines in social
sciences, what particular discipline do you find interesting and willing to pursue
on a higher education? Why?
3. Select at least 3 social science disciplines and explain their relevance to our
everyday life. (For example: On Geography- I will avoid places and
community where there is a high concentration of COVID-19 cases.
Knowledge of geography will help me create good and sound decisions.)

Criteria for the written output: - 20

points -
Content (in-depth and comprehensive) 20
points -
Creativity 10 points
Organization Total: 50 points

18
17

19
20