Q1 – MDL in DISS
(September 2 – 3, 2024)
I. Read each discipline, then answer the question/s that follow:
Disciplines in Social Sciences and their Historical Foundations and Social
Contexts:
History: History becomes a discipline with its origin from the 19th century in Germany,
during the late Enlightenment period, with its distinct features based on Enlightenment
values. German historian, Leopold von Ranke, is deemed the ‘father of empirical
History, for him, “the fundamental duty of History is the critical inquiry of tradition.”
(Nyarko, 2023) Western Enlightenment employs reason (logical reasoning) and based on
world-centric morality. We witnessed the rise liberation movements: liberation of slaves,
of women. Not what is right for me or my religion, but what is right for all humans,
regardless of race, sex, or creed. Enlightenment is an Age of Reason. It is an Age of
Revolution. A revolution in theory and in practice in politics. The Enlightenment’s theme
is “No more myths!” because it inflicts cruelties on unbelievers in the name of a chosen
mythic god. Voltaire’s cry: “Remember the cruelties!” Cruelties inflicted on people in the
name of mythic god, hundreds of thousands burned at the stake in order to save their
souls, remember the brutalities in the name of compassion…
“I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Freedom of speech – A freedom to think freely… “I may disagree with what you say, but
I will defend to the death your right to say it.” (Wilber, 2000 – The Eye of Spirit)
President Benigno Aquino III, made August as “Buwan ng Wika at Kasaysayan.” This
emphasis on history from September to August, Aquino moved focus from Ferdinand
Marcos Sr. and martial law to the national language and the 1896 Philippine Revolution.
Zeus Salazar’s “Pantayong Pananaw” seeks to understand the Philippine history from a
Filipino perspective. History (English), “historia” (Spanish), it’s rooted in the word “story”
or narrative. Furthermore, historie, to the ancient Greeks, meant “inquiry,” example of
which is the Socratic method. For Salazar, history should be called “kasaysayan” in
Filipino, based on the root words: “salaysay”or ”sanaysay” (narrative) and “saysay”
(sense or meaning). In 1613 “salita” could also be translated as a verb, “to discover.”
History then, was not just about a story or narrative but the process of discovering the
unknown, uncovering what is hidden. (Ocampo, 2024)
A. 1. In what way reason can help in creating a just society, and not belief in
mythic god? (Paanong ang pagiging makatuwiran ay nakatutulong sa paglikha ng
makatarungang lipunan, at hindi ang paniniwala sa kinagisnang kuwento tungkol
sa diyos?)
2. Explain why history is better called “kasaysayan” in Filipino?
Anthropology: Herodotus, a Greek historian, in fifth century B.C.E. he traveled present
day Libya, Ukraine, Egypt, and Syria, to understand the origins of conflict between
Greeks and Persians. Along with historical accounts, Herodotus wrote about the
customs and social structures of other people. Medieval thinkers, who traveled the
world, kept accounts of cultures they encountered. For example, Marco Polo wrote
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detailed descriptions of Central Asia and China. Polo’s writings made Europeans
understand of Asian peoples, and their practices more.
In the Age of Enlightenment (modernity), modern anthropology developed. It’s a cultural
movement of 18th century Europe which dealt with the power of reason to pursue
society’s advancements and knowledge. The aim was to understand human behavior
and society as phenomena that is governed sensible principles. Colonial writers thought
that other cultures as “human primitives,” inferior to theirs. So they believed that it was
right to colonize other people because they needed European ideas and control. It is
considered today as racist. Anthropology uses certain skills and tools to understand
how humans create new social connections and cultural identities. (National
Geographic) A Filipino anthropologist Ponciano Bennagan says: ‘If the aim of the social
sciences is both to understand and transform the world then the claim of the others for
self-understanding and self-transformation sends to academics a signal for them to
rethink their adaptive strategies to help ensure their survival’ (cited in Abaya et al. 1999:
6, Lasco, 2022).
B. 1. In what way does anthropology become helpful discipline to us humans?
(Paanong kapakipakinabang ang pag-aaral ng anthropology sa ating mga tao?)
2. In what way did the practice of anthropology become racist?
Economics: In the 18th century, Adam Smith employed the ideas of French
Enlightenment thinkers to develop a thesis on how economies should work. In the early
20th century John Maynard Keynes developed theories that the Federal Reserve still
uses to manage monetary policy today. In the modern economic theories of Keynes and
Milton Friedman’s free-market theories are operative, which suggest more capital in the
system lessens the need for government involvement. The economic theory of Amartya
Sen suggests inclusion of ethics into social welfare calculations of economic efficiency.
(Beattie, 2024)
C. Why is ethics—doing the right thing to do, e.g., to be fair in dealing with others
—in doing economics?
(Bakit mahalaga sa paggawa ng tamang dapat gawain tulad ng pagiging patas sa
pakikipag-kalakalan sap ag-aaral ng economics?)
Geography: Geography as an academic discipline is mostly a 20th-century
phenomenon, linking the natural and social sciences. The history of geography is the
about thinking and conceptualization about the environments, places, and spaces. It
seeks to understand the physical reality humans occupy and the way we transform the
environments into places that we find more comfortable to live in (inevitably, these
modifications caused negative impacts). Its study offers insights into contemporary
issues, like globalization and environmental changes, appreciation of local differences.
(Johnson, britannica.com)
D. Give an example wherein the modification of environment caused negative
impacts. Elaborate briefly.
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Linguistics: Linguistics was first used in the middle of the 19th century, wherein the
linguists are interested in written texts and in the development of languages through
time, tends to give priority to spoken languages and to the problems of analyzing them
as they operate at a given point in time (Lyons & Hemp, 2024).
According to Ferdinand de Saussure (Sow-sur) all linguistic signs have two
components, the signifier and the signified. The signifier is the written or spoken symbol
or sound, the material component of the sign (such as the physical ink forms written on
this page, or the physical air vibrations as you speak). The signified is what comes to
your mind when you see or hear the signifier. Both of those are distinguished from the
actual referent, or whatever it is that the sign is "pointing" to, whether interior or exterior.
Thus, the signifier is the word dog, the referent is the real dog, and the signified is what
comes to your mind when you read or hear signifier dog. Saussure's genius was to point
out that the signified is not merely or simply the same as the referent, because "what
comes to mind" depends on a whole host of factors other than the real dog.
Meaning is found not in the word but in the context: the bark of a dog is not the same as
the bark of a tree, and the difference is not in the word, because the word bark is the
same in both phrases – it is the relational context that determines its meaning: the entire
structure of language is involved in the meaning of each and every term – this was
Saussure's great insight.
The actual experience of seeing a dog is not itself a merely linguistic experience. The
signifier, the word dog, is not the actual dog, not the actual referent. Obviously, the total
experience of the real dog cannot itself be put into words, put into signifiers. But the fact
that the real dog can't be put into words does not mean that the real dog doesn't exist or
isn't real. It means only that the signifier has sense only if you and I have had a similar
experience, a common shared lifeworld experience, and then I will know what you mean
when you say, "That dog scared me." No direct experience can be put into words
without remainder. Being scared by a dog can't be put into words; you've either had the
experience or you haven't, and no amount of poetry will take its place. Sunsets, eating
cake, listening to Bach, riding a bike, getting drunk and throwing up – believe me, none
of those are captured in words. (Wilber, 2000d)
E. 1. Give an example of a (a) signifier, (b) signified & (c) referent.
2. Explain how the relational context determines the meaning of a word, like dog,
for example.
(Ipaliwanag kung paanong ang contekstong ugnayan ang siyang nagtatakda ng
kahulugan ng isang salita, tulad ng aso, bilang halimbawa?)
Political Science: The contemporary discipline encompasses studies of all the societal,
cultural, and psychological factors that mutually influence the operation of government
and the body politic. It is focused on power—defined as the ability of one political actor
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to get another actor to do what it wants—at the international, national, and local levels.
In the ancient times, Aristotle distinguished political systems by the number of persons
ruling (one, few, or many) and by whether the form was legitimate (rulers governing in
the interests of all) or corrupt (rulers governing in their own interests). Plato’s ideal of a
stable republic [should be governed by a philosopher-leader].
F. Why do you think we need a philosopher (a highly morally good and intelligent
person) as our leader?
Psychology: In the mid-1800s, Wilhelm Wundt used scientific research methods to
study reaction times by describing connections between physiology and the
investigation of human thought and behavior. Behaviorism started by Ivan Pavlov and
found the classical conditioning process, which proposed that behaviors could be
learned via conditioned associations (Cherry, 2020b). James Mark Baldwin started
studying structural development of the mind and fully developed by Jean Piaget’s
cognitive development (Wilber, 2024). Lawrence Kohlberg & Carol Gilligan studied
moral development, Jane Loevinger studied self development, James Fowler studied
faith development, among others, (Wilber, 2000b). The spirit which Gustav Fechner
explored in his study of psychology was a way to elucidate spirit which points to waking
forever (Wilber’s Integral Psychology, 2000c).
G. Psychology tells us that our consciousness can and is going through
development (halimbawa niyan ay ang ating kamalayan, pinapahalagahan,
pinapaniwalaan, atbp., ay lumalago at tumatalas), why is that insight important to
us humans? (bakit mahalaga ang kaalamang iyan para ating mga tao?)
Sociology: Auguste Comte (1798–1857), considered as the founder of sociology, and
coined the term. (britannica.com/topic/political-science). In pursuit of modern social
order, the sociological thought of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were
focused on understanding the nature of tradition and its place in cultural and social life.
For example, these attachment to the past and the unquestioning acceptance of the
usage and symbols of the past may have been detrimental to progress and
development. (Eisenstadt, 1974). There is a need for an integrative orientation in doing
sociology (Wilber’s Sociable God, 2005) that incorporates spiritual, contemplative, and
meditative practices that lead to consciousness awakening, as concurred to by Walsh
and Vaughan (1994).
H. Explain how attachment to the past and the unquestioning acceptance of the
usage and symbols of the past may have been detrimental to progress and
development.
Prepared by: Checked by: Noted by:
Allan C. Leus, Ph.D. Vivian C. Laolao JEANETTE Q. ALVAREZ
Subject Teacher MT II Asst. Principal II
