What do we study when we study the world?

Tomasz Kamusella

What do we study when we study the world?

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The essay reflects on the ‘material thinness’ of the ‘bubble’, of the human social reality in comparison to the hugeness of the observable universe. Second, I distinguish between the biosphere as a space on the Earth surface where DNA-based life thrives, on the one hand, and the social reality (semiosphere), on the other; the latter generated solely by humans and their social use of language. On this basis, I propose that while most natural sciences deal with the entire material reality, the purview of the social sciences and the humanities is limited to the human semiosphere only. A conscious realization of the fact appears to put many human pursuits in a better perspective.

Original language	English
Article number	8
Pages (from-to)	54-62
Journal	Revista de Etnologie şi Culturologie
Volume	XXIV
Publication status	Published - 29 Jan 2019

Keywords

Biosphere
Earth
Entropy
Humanities
Material reality
Natural sciences
Research
Semiosphere
Social reality
Social sciences

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Chto my izuchaem, izuchaia mir?
Translated title of the contribution: What We Study When We Study the World?Kamusella, T. D., 2015, In: Vek globalizatsii. 8, 1, p. 52-65
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Cite this

@article{9970ccebc92b4163b640c70300d0e2b0,

title = "What do we study when we study the world?",

abstract = "The essay reflects on the {\textquoteleft}material thinness{\textquoteright} of the {\textquoteleft}bubble{\textquoteright}, of the human social reality in comparison to the hugeness of the observable universe. Second, I distinguish between the biosphere as a space on the Earth surface where DNA-based life thrives, on the one hand, and the social reality (semiosphere), on the other; the latter generated solely by humans and their social use of language. On this basis, I propose that while most natural sciences deal with the entire material reality, the purview of the social sciences and the humanities is limited to the human semiosphere only. A conscious realization of the fact appears to put many human pursuits in a better perspective.",

keywords = "Biosphere, Earth, Entropy, Humanities, Material reality, Natural sciences, Research, Semiosphere, Social reality, Social sciences",

author = "Tomasz Kamusella",

year = "2019",

month = jan,

day = "29",

language = "English",

volume = "XXIV",

pages = "54--62",

journal = "Revista de Etnologie {\c s}i Culturologie",