My second rigorous "paper" that was rushed to be done within a span of 5 hours...-.-
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ORDERED CHAOS
Rebuilding the crumbling society through the Social Sciences
I. INTRODUCTION
The moment that we’re born, or even during the time that we’re being nurtured in our Mother’s womb, we were already being prepared to enter into a greater form of inclusion. Through the process lf socialization we are absorbed into different culture, laws, habits, customs, practices and beliefs so that we could be ready for the different encounters we may experience in this place (Andersen and Taylor, 2003, p. 64) A place outside the safety of the womb, a place where there exist diverse individuals who were like us were integrated and accepted as members of this certain a place. It is the place that we would be growing, learning and dying into, the place that we have come to know as the society. A society that interacts, decide and is mobilized through the different ideas and theories of its members, a society where an individual’s action may affect a fellow companion’s life course of direction in one’s life.
As according to Spencer’s ideology, a society would develop like an organism. There is a sense of interdependence and correlation between the different members of society. Which in effect builds up and sustains society as an organism wherein exists different parts working with one another. It is therefore crucial for the survival and preservation of society that studies for the workings of the social dynamics of the society. This drive has created a wave of ideas that from different times, places, and personalities all over the world regards the different fields of economics, sociology, anthropology, and the like that gave born to what we know now as the Social Sciences.
II. THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
There are different views and ideas regarding on what the definition of Social Sciences is. A particular view on the Social Sciences from Hollis (2002)
Social Science, in Mill’s view, must be grounded in ‘the laws of nature of individual man’ because it has as subject matter only ‘the actions and passions of human beings united together in the social state’. These actions and passions are ‘obedient to the laws of individual human nature. However, and the logic of the moral sciences is one which lets us identify these laws. (p.10)
Here we see that the study of Social Sciences rests upon the different laws that govern individuals. Whether these laws are external, such as mores, or internal, such as internal psychologically pre-determined actions, in nature they can greatly affect the decision and movement of an individual. As earlier stated in this paper wherein an individual’s course of actions can cause such great impact on the internal workings of society that can either stabilize or cause dysfunction on the normal workings of the society that we live in. In order to prevent the destabilizing and crumbling of the foundations of society, a study that covers the effects of these factors on the different individuals, social groups or even on the society as a whole.
The study of Social Sciences can also be related upon the search of the social truth on order, morality and institutions. Some may claim that truth is relativistic and may twist as far as time and culture is concerned, others claim that truth may never be discovered as it is impossible for the truth to be revealed to the world. I on the other hand believe that this is not the case and we should not feel complacent on the idea that relativistic truth is enough to preserve this society. As Relativism is a dangerous thinking for it leaves nothing to be definitive, but rather leaves the criterion only with one’s self thus causing one to be imprisoned under the semblance of freedom which in turn separating individuals from one another locking them into their own egos (Pope Benedict XVI, 2005).
According to Hollis (2002), “The truth to be searched into was truth about nature, meaning the universe as God had created and furnished it. Both ways of discovering the true order in nature in applying Reason scientifically” (p.23). Thus the call for truth to be discovered. This is what I believe the study of Social Sciences really is, to discover and impart the truth on the different aspects and internal workings of the society. If this truth is left upon the different individuals to twist and manipulate as subject under the guise of change in “culture” or “time” then we would not be studying what is the truth on society but rather some idea concocted by people different people within their brains.
Society continues to develop and is under change which is inevitable. Social Sciences in turn takes upon the role as to reflect what happens in society that will not just explain how it exist, but also in its development and growth (Aditjondro, 1995, p.39) Social Sciences can be considered as an echo of what has transpired within the society. And the study of this ‘echo’ could be considered as the analysis of the Social Sciences. The term Social Sciences is usually used to refer to the study of the different areas in which human beings interact or are personified in nature. These are the sciences where the “social” dynamics is taken into consideration, which are used to take determine how a society, or an individual would react or work given a particular situation. Although they are interrelated to one another, there exists autonomy of each of this disciplines, an autonomy that presents their own unique identity and methods of study (Backhouse and Fontaine, 2010, p. 222)
The study of the Social Sciences enables us to discover and brings us closer to finding the truth that we need in order to preserve the dignity and the same time the unity of the society that we live in. The society we live in continues to grow and develop, and alongside its development a lot of ills and flaws are creeping their way into the system that poisons the society within causing its corruption and decay. Social Sciences would enable us to be alert of this decay, and study on how to defeat it and prevent it from eating society from inside out.
The students of the Social Sciences may be considered as social activists. We must strive to protect this society that we belong to. The call exists to defend and uphold the truth that is to be found within the confides of the society, and this truth may be discovered through different means, one of which would greatly help in forwarding this discovery for truth is the study and appreciation of the Social Sciences.
III. MY CALL TO DISCOVER: SEEING MYSELF IN MY CHOSEN CAREER
When I first entered the University of the Philippines Baguio, I have already expressed the inner desire to fight not for liberal ideologies or moral activism. Rather I have within me the desire to study and know how I could find the truth. My first course which is BA Communications gave me no satisfaction in quenching this thirst for the knowledge that I have sought which would benefit my cause. That in turn gave way for me in exploring other courses, which is where I have discovered Social Science particularly Social Anthropology. This was the beginning of my deep appreciation on the study of Social Sciences. When the 2nd Semester started and I took up my introductory course on Social Anthropology, I was literally drowned on the different theories and ideologies from Comte, to Weber, to Marx. Different viewpoints and stands that enabled me to further understand that the original goal that I wanted to achieve would not be easy as these different people came up with these ideologies after years of studies and observation. What made it more difficult that although many of them opposed one another as to their different viewpoints, all of them had their reasonable arguments that would further explain how and why society acts in this particular way.
These men of great knowledge had given me the inspiration to pursue the knowledge yet untouched. The knowledge that is yet to be understood and accepted by people. I seek to study all of their ideologies, compare them with each other, critique them and create my own ideology which I would be basing on what I have observed and I have studied. I would try my best to remove the flaws and imperfections on their theories and to come up with a near-perfect theory on society and the guidelines in preserving its moral stability and dignity at the same way further increasing its potential for development. I believe that our society is in danger; it is crumbling as would be discussed in the later parts of this paper. The importance and relevance of the Social Sciences especially in inter-disciplinary studies is great but also varies from one field of discipline to another. Caution must be given so as not to put or define a certain hierarchy between the different aspects of the social sciences as each branch touches their own field of knowledge is interdependent to the other branches that are the cause of its survival and development. The strategy of this poison is to corrupt this branches, one by one slowly creeping schools of thought which are relativistic in nature and seems to disregard the original goal of the social sciences and that is to understand how and why society acts this way. I want to start a revolution as a Social Scientist and Activist that would call upon every individual to take up their arms and fight against the poison that is rotting and eating the society that we are living in.
I do not have any specific jobs, or office works in mind. I do however have a career plan, a goal to preserve and protect this society. I aim to be a Sociologist in despite of my future course in Film. I aspire to be a Social Scientist whose goal is to uphold who we are as the human race. So that we could pass on what we have learned and understood in our study of society to our children so that they too may take part in the preservation of the society hundreds of generations would later pass on.
IV. RELATING SOCIAL SCIENCES WITH SOCIOLOGY
Social Sciences could be easily related to Sociology as the very essence of Sociology is the study of Society. Sociology may encompass most if not all of the aspects of Social Sciences, as it touches society from without and within. The study of Social Sciences is very crucial in order for me to further push forward for the cause of finding and protecting the different ideals and values that our society has lived upon.
It is according to my personal opinion that there must be an absolute truth, an absolute order of natural things, the same way as the natural law of gravity exist there too must exist a natural social law that would govern all human beings that belong in the society. So that whoever becomes deviant of that group may be re-educated or eliminated as they could infect the people living within the society with their flawed values and beliefs. This too would avoid the clash of unethical ideas and inhumane traces of thoughts that has for centuries plagued our society, thus preventing our development and growth.
Social Sciences enables us aspiring Social Anthropologists to take into consideration the different methods that would give us accurate results and pre-determined theories that would confirm whatever data or observation that we have gathered. The different methods and ideologies found within the theory of Social Sciences gives way for the expansion and advancement of Sociology. As earlier cited that Social Sciences serves as a ‘reflection’ of society proves that Social Anthropologists can use this as their main camp where they could do their research and base upon their findings and experiments that would discover how we would better react and solve certain situations and problems that hinders our natural development as potential individuals. The study of Social Sciences gives Social Anthropology a variety of choices to plunge into and analyze in order to preserve its belief and ideals. It is by its very sense a branch of the Social Sciences which makes it relation with other branches easier. Compatibility is the key term here, for without it the inter-relation of the disciplines within the Social Sciences may cause its collapse.
Social Anthropology continues to go deeper to the core of society, reaching far within as deep as the minds of the individuals living in a certain society. This helps us to determine how individuals would act in groups as Psychology is considered as a part of the Social Sciences, it also gives us insight on how interpersonal dynamics and communication takes place within the different groups existing within a society. Symbols, hand gestures and different modes of communications such as language are the main basis of these different means (Henslin, 2004, p. 12). Social Sciences also is relevant to Social Anthropology as it offers Economics as one of its branches where Social Anthropologists may study the relation of the people with the workings of the market. How people would react when the economy breaks and how humanity seems to survive and thrive in despite of economic depressions. Through this we continue to learn more about the movements of different people and even corporations in that matter when it is regard to the distribution of resources. There are countless ways where Social Sciences are relevant to Social Anthropology, for the aspects on the study of Society would remain endless as long as Society continues to exist, expand and develop.
V. CONCLUSION: THE STRUGGLE TO PRESERVE
We live in a society that is fast changing and seeking a direction where it has been before. The term “history repeats itself” may be very applicable to the situation that we face now a days. The title of this paper, Ordered Chaos refers to the very essence of what the society is an order within chaos that seeks to move forward as one whole unified body. But this order is being threatened as within the chaos spurns a web of disunity and disarray. And this disarray may bring good at some effect as it breaks some inhumane tradition (e.g. slavery, discrimination of women) but at the same time may cause the destruction of the society that we know of today. There exists a need to focus on the road to modernity where there exist social representations serving not just as reflection, but as constitutive of those individual relations (Outhwaite, 2006, p.60).
I personally believe that the society that we are living on is crumbling. As the curse of Moral Relativism had infiltrated and corrupted the very core of society and continues to poison the future of this society, the youths of this generation. Moral Relativism as I’ve said is a dangerous thinking for it enables one to create one’s laws and can make one’s self dominant over all the others and alienating one’s personality thus causing an individual’s separation from society. People also tend to use downward comparisons with other people for it follows a cognitive process that seeks to find people within your surroundings that are worse off so that you could enhance and protect yourself or your sense of security (Noelker and Harel, 2001, p. 13). This is the result of the selfish desire of human nature to be ahead, to make better for one’s self and to put one’s life above the good of others.
What if these people didn’t separate and society accepted their ideas on Moral Relativism and acceptance of changing values; it would all be good right? Since society has accepted to follow and change the norm, they have agreed to follow a certain ideal because they have chosen it as the majority decided, it would balance all things right? Not exactly, the same way that you could not make “2 + 2 =5” true even though the whole world may agree on it, you cannot deny the existence of a moral objective truth. Truth that has been disregarded for the sake of the easy solutions offered my Moral Relativism. And if society continues to act this way and makes no regard for its actions, we are building upon block by block a foundation that would crumble and cause society’s fall sooner or later. I am not claiming nor suggesting that our whole society is based on a moral web of lies, but rather implying that originally we have been built with the original nature to preserve and recognize the dignity and importance of interdependence and life. But somewhere along the way, a poison or personal flaw has crept within the society with the means to destroy the society that has been built upon from within.
Recently experts have been considering accepting Pedophilia as a Sexual Orientation rather than a perversion, a rather exquisite example, a taste of how few minds and manipulative instincts could change the opinionated truth that is accepted by everyone. A few rallies here, oppressed statements there and we could see lawmakers passing anti pedophilic discrimination laws. Again Moral relativism has won and the objective truth that pedophilia is a PERVERSION has been disregarded. Different groups are fighting for radical change, equal rights and societal acceptance and tolerance. The question remains however on the things they are promoting to change and to share to the world. Would it be beneficial and enhance the quality and dignity of life of humanity? Or would it just objectify and belittle the life giving properties of human beings as to contraception on my personal belief.
Society is hanging by a brink, there is the need to turn back and find the objective truth, there is the need to bring back the lost values and morals that has been replaced with shallow arguments based on selfish wants and innovations. The call echoes to us all, the struggle remains. The preservation of society lies within our own very hands, no time to waste and let’s get moving.
REFERENCES:
Andersen, M.L., TAYLOR, H.F., (2003). Sociology: The Essentials (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Aditjondro G.J., (1995). Implications of a Shift from ‘Pro-State’ to ‘Pro-Society’ Social Scientists. In Nordholt, N.S., Visser, L., Social Science in Southeast Asia: From Particularism to Universalism. Amsterdam: VU University Press/CASA.
Hollis, M., (2002). The philosophy of social science: an introduction. United Kingdom, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Outhwaite, W., (2006). The Future of Society. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Henslin, J.M. (2004). Essentials of Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Backhouse, R.E., Fontaine, P., (2010). Towards a History of the Social Sciences. In Backhouse, R.E., Fontaine, P., The History of the Social Sciences since 1945. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press .
Noelker, L.S., Harel, Z., (2001). Linking Quality of Long-Term Care and Quality of Life. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company Inc.
Allen, J.L., (2005). Do-it-yourself religion ‘cannot ultimately help us,’ pope tells youth. National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved from http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/ wyd082105.htm
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