10 Examples of Hard Science and Soft Science

The science It is a system of knowledge that has been obtained through observations and experimentation. This system has a structure that relates the different fields of science to each other, in specific ways. In it there are general laws that have been developed in a rational and experimental way.

The scientific knowledge They allow you to generate questions and develop reasoning to tentatively answer those questions. The possible answers to these questions (formulated from logical reasoning) are called hypothesis.
Science has a specific method of problem solving and knowledge construction called scientific method. It takes place in various stages:

The scientific method depends on two fundamental characteristics:

The distinction between hard and soft sciences is not a formal division but is used to indicate:

It can serve you:

Hard sciences

The hard sciences are those that use the scientific method with the most rigorous and exact results and verification possibilities.

Hard Science Examples

1. Chemistry
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   . He studies matter both in its composition, its structure and its properties as in the changes it experiences. Chemistry considers that one substance turns into another when the chemical bonds between the atoms change. The atom it is the basic (though not indivisible) unit of chemistry. It is composed of a nucleus made up of protons and neutrons around which a group of electrons rotate in specific orbits. Chemistry is divided into organic chemistry (when studying the chemistry of living beings) and inorganic chemistry (when studying the chemistry of inert matter).
2. Math. Formal science, that is to say that it validates its theory based on propositions, definitions, axioms and reference rules. Study the properties and relationships between certain abstract entities (numbers, geometric figures or symbols) following logical reasoning. It is used by all other hard sciences.
3. Astronomy. Study the objects and phenomena originating outside the Earth's atmosphere, that is, stars, planets, kites and more complex structures such as galaxies and the universe itself. He uses physics and chemistry to be able to interpret his observations of remote objects and events.
4. Physical. Study the behavior of the matter, energy, time and space, and the changes and interactions between these elements. The physical quantities are: energy (and its various forms), momentum, mass, electric charge, entropy. Physical entities can be: matter, particle, field, wave, space-time, observer, position.
5. biology. Study the living beings in all its characteristics, from its nutrition, reproduction and behavior to its origin, evolution and relationship with other living beings. Study large ensembles such as species, the populations and the ecosystems, but also small units, such as cells and genetics. This is why it has a wide variety of specialties.
6. Medicine. Study the human body in its healthy functioning as well as in pathological situations (diseases). In other words, it studies its interaction with microorganisms and other substances that can benefit or harm you. It is a science that is directly associated with its technical application, that is, promoting human health.

Soft sciences

The soft sciences can use the scientific method but in some cases they reach theoretical conclusions only through reasoning, without experimentation being possible.

The distinction between hard and soft sciences is based on the presupposition that a more experimental type of science can arrive more directly at the truth and avoid ambiguities. However, currently in one of the hard sciences, physics, there are controversies that are currently impossible to resolve, such as the contradiction between quantum physics and classical physics.

Soft Science Examples

1. Sociology. Study the structure and functioning of societies, and any collective human phenomenon. Human beings live in groups and specific relationships are established between them. Sociology studies, classifies and analyzes these relationships. All analysis is based on specific theories and paradigms, which the sociologist must specify when presenting the results of their research. Their study methods can be qualitative (case studies, interviews, observation, action research), quantitative (randomized experiments, questionnaires, surveys and other sampling techniques) or comparative (those that compare similar phenomena in order to draw conclusions general).
2. Story. Study the past of humanity. It is an interpretive science that establishes relationships between different facts, actors and circumstances. Since he refers to past events, he cannot sustain his theories in experimentation. However, his objectivity is based on the evidence he uses to justify these relationships, as well as on the logic of his reasoning.
3. Anthropology. It studies the human being from the criteria of both the soft sciences (such as sociology and psychology) and the hard sciences (such as biology). However, due to its limited possibility of experimentation, it is considered a soft science. Study basic human behaviors, looking for the characteristics in common between diverse cultures.
4. Psychology. It studies human behavior and the mental processes of both individuals and human groups. There are different orientations of psychology that pose contradictory conceptions about the functioning of the human mind. For this reason, scientific research in psychology must always make explicit the theories and assumptions on which it bases its hypotheses and interpretation of the observations.

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