The Problem of Correlation between Natural Science and Humanities Knowledge in the Case of Physics and History

The problem of correlation between natural science and humanities knowledge in the case of two scientific disciplines — history and physics - was examined. Arguments were presented in favor of the special status of historical science, and more broadly, of humanities knowledge in comparison with the natural sciences. Critical remarks are made regarding the presented line of reasoning. Critical remarks were presented regarding the arguments set forth. Among the fundamental differences, the following are identified: physics is characterized by the use of experimentation, whereas in history, for objective reasons, experimentation cannot be carried out. As a consequence, history also lacks one of the key advantages of experimentation — its reproducibility. Physics is capable of generating empirically verified general laws of nature, whereas history deals with the study of unique phenomena that are more difficult to generalize. The natural sciences are characterized by a higher capacity for predicting phenomena with greater accuracy, which is not typical of humanities knowledge.  The impartiality of the physicist as a scientist is contrasted with the fact that a historian’s thinking is conditioned by their worldview, value system, and socio-political context. The objectivity of the natural scientist is set against the methodological approach of understanding, immersion, and empathy employed by historians and ethnographers. The principle of observability in the natural sciences is contrasted with the historian’s need to reconstruct unobservable events and identify their implicit causes. It is noted that physics cannot be conceived without universal constants (fundamental physical constants), whereas in history the derivation and application of analogous quantities is not feasible. As a result of the critical analysis of the arguments considered, it is concluded that both natural science and humanities knowledge possess inherent limitations related both to the structure of the Universe itself and to the cognitive capacities of the knowing subject, and that physics and history most likely represent heterogeneous particular cases of a single whole.

EDN GZUNLO