To what extent is an area of knowledge defined by their methodology?
Some areas of knowledge are defined by their methodologies, others by their content. Discuss.
To what extent is an area of knowledge defined by their methodology?
To understand this question, we will first have to understand what methodologies mean in this context. According to my own understanding, methodology is the application of a particular procedure in an area of study. It is essentially the path taken to pursue knowledge. Although methodology and content seems to be two separate things in our everyday lives, but from the perspective of how we gain different areas of knowledge, it is in fact intervened. How can we know the knowledge itself if we do not know the methodology that is needed to pursue that knowledge? Even though the correlation between methodology and content may be tenuous in some areas of knowledge, it is impossible to define an area of knowledge without the combination of both its methodologies and contents.
Some may argue that the natural sciences are completely defined by their methodologies, which are commonly referred to as the scientific method. The scientific method is the systematic procedure taken in the pursuit of scientific knowledge; it begins from the formulation of a hypothesis and ends with the confirmation of the theory through the collection of raw data from a series of experimentations. But, the natural sciences cannot be completely defined by its methodology. Social sciences such as economics also function on a methodology that is extremely similar, if not the same. In fact, most social sciences rely on the same method, starting with the formation of a hypothesis and ending when the hypothesis becomes true knowledge after it has been supported and proven with numerous data collected from experimentations. Therefore, if an area of knowledge is purely defined by its methodology, the line drawn between some of the knowledge areas that distinguish them will become blurred. The methodology is the path taken, but
To what extent is an area of knowledge defined by their methodology?
To understand this question, we will first have to understand what methodologies mean in this context. According to my own understanding, methodology is the application of a particular procedure in an area of study. It is essentially the path taken to pursue knowledge. Although methodology and content seems to be two separate things in our everyday lives, but from the perspective of how we gain different areas of knowledge, it is in fact intervened. How can we know the knowledge itself if we do not know the methodology that is needed to pursue that knowledge? Even though the correlation between methodology and content may be tenuous in some areas of knowledge, it is impossible to define an area of knowledge without the combination of both its methodologies and contents.
Some may argue that the natural sciences are completely defined by their methodologies, which are commonly referred to as the scientific method. The scientific method is the systematic procedure taken in the pursuit of scientific knowledge; it begins from the formulation of a hypothesis and ends with the confirmation of the theory through the collection of raw data from a series of experimentations. But, the natural sciences cannot be completely defined by its methodology. Social sciences such as economics also function on a methodology that is extremely similar, if not the same. In fact, most social sciences rely on the same method, starting with the formation of a hypothesis and ending when the hypothesis becomes true knowledge after it has been supported and proven with numerous data collected from experimentations. Therefore, if an area of knowledge is purely defined by its methodology, the line drawn between some of the knowledge areas that distinguish them will become blurred. The methodology is the path taken, but