Tuesday, May 13, 2008

History and the other Disciplines

History as a discipline has no precise and definite boundaries. It shares many points of common interest with other social disciplines, some of which are the following:

1. Political Science---The relation between the political scientists and the historian is obvious in the observation that'' politics presents history and history includes politics''. The political scientist, more often than never, adopts a historical approach and employs knowledge of the past when he needs to interpret present a provable scenarios and developments in political phenomena.

2. Economics---------History and economics are jointly concerned with the fact that economic conditions affect the organization, development, and activities of a state. Historians regularly adopt an economic approach when seeking to interpret such matters as financial policies and government regulation of business.

3. Geography---------The use of geography helps the historian to explain historical phenomena such as the influence of certain physical factors upon political and social development of a nation.

4. Sociology and Anthropology---The study of history embraces the study of sociology and anthropology. Since history is deeply concerned with the origins and nature of social control and governmental authority and with the abiding influences of race and culture upon society, historians should seek the help of available sociological data.

5. Philosophy---------Concepts and doctrines about the state of universal thinkers are important to the historian. These concepts are the underlying forces in the framing of constitutions and laws. The historian considers branch of philosophy, called ethics, when the analyzes the moral background of proposed changes in social legislation.

6. Psychology---------The historian as well as the psychologist promotes studies of mental and emotional processes motivation the political behavior of individuals and groups. One of the many topics which the historian handles from a psychological approach is that of public opinion, pressure groups, and propaganda.

1 comment:

4ever7 said...

These disciplines fall into the social sciences, also known as "soft" sciences, in contrast to the "hard" or natural sciences.