2/9

Agenda  Look at the foundations of Human Sciences  Start forming your own opinions  How do you gain knowledge in the human sciences? Is it reliable?

Question from yesterday…  What does it mean to be human?

What are human sciences?  Human Sciences The study of human behavior in a systematic way Psychology Economics Anthropology Sociology

Humans vs. Animals?!  Mirror Test  Language  Reason  Free-will  Creativity  What are some other features that can distinguish human beings from other animals?

Observation  Observation – very important in the sciences  Observation – tricky in human sciences You can observe human actions, but you can’t observe a human’s mind

Observation  Since you can’t observe someone’s mind, you can just ask them what they are thinking….right?!?!?!  WRONG!  People want to put themselves in a good light

Observation – Loaded Questions  Loaded Question a question that contains a hidden assumption Loaded Questions happen when ppl are unable to frame questions in an unbiased way

Observation – Loaded Questions  Do you think there should be an amendment to the Constitution prohibiting abortions, or shouldn’t there be such an amendment? For, 29%Against, 67%  Do you believe that there should be an amendment to the Constitution protecting the life of the unborn child, or shouldn’t there be such on amendment? For, 50%Against, 34%

Observation – Question Problems  Loaded  People will not answer truthfully  People may not follow through with their answer

Observation – The observer effect  Observer Effect People change their behavior when they are being observed

Observation – observer effect  How do we get around it? Habituation/go native Hidden Cameras

Observation – observer effect  Predict human behavior? Oedipus Rex Psychology Economics Anthropology

Psychology  “Bright” and “Less Bright”  To what extent do you think your teacher’s expectations about your abilities affect how well you do at school?  Would it be better if teachers had no expectations about you? To what extent is that possible?

Economics  Stock market – people’s expectations can affect share prices  Bull market Most ppl expect prices to rise, a rational person will buy now, to sell high later – everyone does that? Prices will rise!  Bear market Most ppl expect prices to drop, rational person sells – everyone does that? Prices drop!  Do you think the behavior of stock markets is governed more y reason or more by emotion?

Anthropology  “Voodoo Death” in an aborigine tribe  Have you ever been caught breaking a TABOO and said something like, “I am so ashamed I could die”?  Do you believe that mental states can affect our physical well-being?

Agenda  Review yesterday’s question  Knowledge Question Reflection  End Goal- Be able to evaluate a knowledge question that combines Reason, History, AND Human Sciences

Quote 1  “I am more interested in how a man lives than how a star dies.” – Sherwin Nuland,  What are the implications of this quote?  Do you agree with this quote?

Reason, Human Sciences, History  What are the philosophical problems with traveling back in time and killing Hitler?

Today  Read and Annotate  Focus on developing open-ended questions based on the article.  Answer the knowledge question.

Agenda 2/11  Review Yesterday’s Work  Video on Human Science Definition (a little dry…I am sorry!)  Continue building the foundation on Human Sciences

Kill Hitler?!?!  Share out your annotations and your open-ended questions…

Kill Hitler?!?  What are some AMAZING open-ended questions…  Hopefully you have a ton to choose from…..

Human Sciences  UioIda2o UioIda2o  Write down main ideas, reactions, and open-ended questions!

Human Sciences  Discuss Discuss Discuss

Aims of Human Sciences  Explain human behavior  Formulate theories to predict it  Develop remedies for the problems identified by those predictions  (There are cynical outlooks…but let’s not turn into cynics just yet…)

Causation and Correlation  Figuring out the cause of something can be problematic  How do we discern between factors that actually CAUSE something and factors that are just coincidental or CORRELATE?

Causation and Correlation fallacies  cum hoc ergo propter hoc With this, therefore, because of this  Post hoc ergo propter hoc After this, therefore, because of this IN OTHER WORDS – assuming that one event is caused by another, just because it happened at the same time or afterwards

Handout  I think that handout can provide a few better exampls than I can…  Read it over and write down some of your thoughts…