There are four ways of thinking or lenses that can be employed when critically analyzing information: social science, natural science, history, and humanities. Social science examines the principles of society and human interactions. Natural science is rooted in the study of the natural and physical world. History includes exploring the past from various perspectives, divided into political, social, and economic history. Humanities are the study of human actions and works, which includes philosophy and philology (“Lenses identified,” n.d.). These lenses allow people to develop scientific literacy, thus understanding the world around them and making educated decisions regarding serious subjects.
The given lenses use various types of evidence when it comes to research. Social science uses primary and secondary sources, while natural science employs primary sources. History uses primary, secondary, and tertiary sources, and humanities employ both primary and secondary sources. The similarities and differences in the lenses of thinking abound. Both social science and humanities examine human activity, and social science relates to history by employing primary and secondary sources to understand human activity and interactions in various time periods. Natural science and social science aim to identify problems and find appropriate solutions. Humanities and history differ since humanities focus on the development of humanity and its culture, while history concerns its past. Natural science differs from social science in its subject of study (the natural world) when social science examines society. Social science studies the past and the present, but history concerns only the past.
Climate change is a topic that has been highly relevant for many years. It has been considered one of the greatest economic and social challenges of the 21st century (Dietz et al, 2020). The term climate change refers to a variety of changes that occur in the climate that can have detrimental consequences for the planet and humanity. The main issues that follow these changes are rising sea levels, more intense hurricanes, and high temperatures, which would cause droughts and prolonged heat waves. In addition, climate change impacts precipitation patterns and creates longer wildfire seasons.
In conclusion, the four lenses of thinking are highly important for people’s understanding of the world and how to solve severe issues within it, both social and natural, for example, climate change. There are many similarities and differences between the given lenses. They can differ in the type of evidence used in them or the aspect of the world that they examine, study, and explore.
References
Dietz, T., Shwom, R. L., & Whitley, C. T. (2020). Climate change and society. Annual Review of Sociology, 46, 135–158.
Lenses identified. (n.d). Web.