Written by Jireh Estrada
What is Psychology?
The simplest answer to this question is, “Psychology is the study of mind and behaviour” (Waters, P. 1). However, psychology is much more than that. It is a broad and diverse topic, which aids in the understanding of people’s actions. It is a blend between the humanities and the sciences. Today we will be discussing psychology at the crossroads, where the humanities and sciences meet as one.
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that take an emphasis on studying human culture and society. It includes the fields of philosophy, law, history, and literary studies, all of which help us address arguably the greatest question there is, “What does it mean to be human?”
It examines the patterns in our diverse history, traditions, and relationships, allowing us to contextualize our present to help us analyze complex moral issues and current events. Unlike the sciences, there is a focus on critical or speculative thinking. It provides space for different points of view, producing diversified and often contrasting theories. Thus, studying the humanities helps people understand people, even if they don’t agree with them.
Sciences
Unlike the humanities, the sciences are more systemic. It branches into three fields: chemistry, physics, and biology; however, these fields are highly interconnected and often overlap. Its theories are supported by experiments and empirical observations that can be repeated a hundred times over to arrive at the same logical conclusions. It uses the physical, biological, and tangible world as evidence rather than human opinion or conjecture.
The Stereotypes
Oftentimes a degree in the humanities is seen as the easy option whereas science is deemed as more complex, the “smarter career choice.” Articles come out every year calling humanities wasteful, unprofitable, and meaningless. In reality, both fields of study are equally important.
Psychology is one example of how both subjects can work together to fulfil a greater purpose. Psychology is the scientific study of the mind. Like any other science, it uses the scientific method and relies on logical data. However, it also relies on studying the human experience, which means asking people how they feel about certain things. These feelings vary by person, culture, and historical context. Understanding those requires a deep understanding in the humanities. Often enough, psychology is undervalued due to its relationship with the humanities. Its results and theories are criticized as biased and expected to change with public opinion.
The Importance of the Humanities
In an article titled “Why the Humanities Are More Important Than Ever,” Alyssa Walker highlights the critical importance of humanities in today’s world (Walker, P.1). Her article is a great read. I combined her article with my own personal research to create a list that sums up the topic as a whole:
There isn’t always a single answer.
Humanities aids in the development and growth of a person
People understand people
Internal as just as important as external
Overall, if both practices were merged into one, that is, allowed for greater overlap, greater knowledge and understanding of the world could be gained.
Comments