WHEN I first encountered the choice of academic paths, I was introduced to two broad categories of subjects: science and arts. Science was often seen as a realm for the intellectually gifted, while those who were not as intellectually gifted, like me, found themselves gravitating towards the arts. One of our teachers emphasized the need for intellectual superiority for science, by repeatedly saying that those who could not memorize a lesson after reading it twice should not choose science. When I tested myself against this criterion, it became clear that science was beyond my grasp. However, when I saw a student with similar intellectual capabilities to mine enrolling in science, I also chose science, even though I could not memorize after reading it four times.
This dichotomy between science and arts tends to linger in students’ minds until they reach the level of M.Sc. In their undergraduate years, many students avoid subjects like political science and economics, seeing them as lesser fields of study. After completing Matric and F.Sc., students have varying preferences: first, they aspire to enter the medical field, followed by engineering, other scientific disciplines, international relations and lastly, economics. Those who do not like economics tend to choose religious studies. Because of these preferences, we have a very bad situation in both religion and economics.
It is inappropriate to label every subject outside the domain of natural science as “arts.” In reality, arts is a superior classification that encompasses a broader spectrum that includes disciplines like photography, calligraphy, poetry and literature. The ability to excel in the arts is God-given and not everyone can excel in it. In contrast, subjects such as economics belong to the realm of social sciences. Natural sciences explore the properties of physical entities such as rocks, soil, air and water, while biological sciences delve into the intricacies of living organisms. Medical sciences focus on the human body, whereas the social sciences delve into the study of human nature, cognition and decision-making. Contrary to popular belief, studying social sciences is often more complex and challenging than the natural sciences.
Let me explain this with an example, if you toss a stone into the air, it obeys the laws of gravity and consistently returns to the ground, maintaining the same behavior if repeated thousands of times. In contrast, human behavior is far more variable and unpredictable. For example, if you give a 100 rupees to your younger brother today, he might spend it on ice cream, buy a football tomorrow and go for an outing the day after, with his behavior changing daily. Predicting such behavior is exceedingly difficult, highlighting the need for individuals with astute minds capable of accurate forecasting.
Another contrast can be seen in the fact that natural sciences generally have universal principles, while social sciences tend to be regional, provincial and local in their focus. Therefore, these could have different challenges at different levels. Science is so predictable and accurate that an astronaut sitting in California can choose a landing spot on Mars and his machine, after travelling millions of kilometres, lands on target without an error of a few meters. On the other hand, social sciences operate in a realm of vagueness where predictions are the most difficult job. An illustration of this vagueness is the global financial crisis of 2007 that hit the global economy, but the intellectuals sitting in the London School of Economics were unable to predict it and could not answer the Queen when she asked, “Why did no one see it coming?”
This disparity between farsightedness in natural sciences and short-sightedness in social sciences should not be confused with the quality of human resources or social science education in the West. It is the nature of social sciences that makes it unpredictable and in addition to the inherent nature sidelining spiritual guidance has made the West more deprived in the understanding of social behaviour and more unlikely to accurately predict the events depending on social behaviour.
Social sciences were traditionally a strong suit in our culture, rooted in religious guidance. However, we have neglected our own religious teachings and imported Western ideas, including those that have proven unsuccessful in the West. There is evidence to prove that some western ideas that have been discarded there have been imposed on the Third World as a continuation of social experiments. Besides treating social sciences as the inferior classification, many of our social science educators have been trained in western institutions that have adapted the western philosophy of social sciences without differentiating between right and wrong. We have uncritically accepted their social science concepts, despite their limited applicability in our context.
I encourage both students and parents to break free from the traditional distinction between science and arts. From my perspective, social sciences should be regarded as equal to, if not superior to, natural sciences, as they demand exceptionally brilliant minds. It’s essential to recognize that, like natural sciences, social sciences possess the potential to profoundly improve people’s lives. Take, for instance, the case of Bangladesh, which has outpaced Pakistan in terms of development. This remarkable progress can be attributed to the pioneering work of a social scientist, Dr Yunus, who introduced the concepts of microfinance and entrepreneurship. Likewise, in Pakistan, Dr Amjad Saqib has created millions of employment opportunities.
Throughout the world, numerous nations have achieved rapid development and even surpassed the most advanced nations within a few decades. This journey of progress can be attributed to the collaborative contributions of both social and natural sciences. Concentrating exclusively on natural sciences can result in a failure to sustain societal well-being, as demonstrated by the case of the (former) Soviet Union, which, despite possessing the most advanced scientific infrastructure, ultimately ceased to exist. Encouraging your child to study social sciences will not hinder their development; on the contrary, it may equip them with the knowledge necessary for a brighter future.
—The writer is Director, Kashmir Institute of Economics, Azad Jammu and Kashmir University.
Email: [email protected]
