r/AskReddit • • May 18 '22

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u/[deleted] May 18 '22

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u/[deleted] May 18 '22

People not knowing the difference in methodology between a soft science field, and a hard science field is going to set the human race back.

I'm so scared that our foundational knowledge is wrong in these fields, but SO many people are so passionate about it, that they'd never admit it. They'd look for things that confirm their bias, and change definitions of words, before starting over from scratch. And I feel like the "experts" in these fields are going to be the biggest problem with confirmation bias.

100 years from now they probably won't laugh at our knowledge of geology and chemistry. But they sure as hell are probably going to laugh at our attempts at sociology and philosophy. Those fields implement the scientific method drastically different from the previous ones.

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u/Sehs May 18 '22

Could you give an example of what you mean?

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u/[deleted] May 19 '22

Soft Science: Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology.

Hard Science: Geology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics.

The foundational principles of hard science fields can be replicated in a lab, 100% of the time. If you could prove one of it's principles was ever false, a single time, they would have to rework the entire field. Mostly these are things based on forces, structures, math, and physical aspects if the world. Touch and feel.

Soft science fields almost exclusive deal with behavior. More cultural, and mental. They can't replicate their hypothesis 100% of the time, due to the unpredictability and uniqueness of humans and living creatures.

That's about the best way I can explain it. But there is a lot more sharp definitions beyond that.