Hard (physical) sciences explain/help us understand the behavior/process of the physical world.
2. Liberal arts studies/disciplines try to understand/ explain human behavior individually and socially. Since Man is a slippery being, full of contradictions, and not quite determinable because of intangible factors such as pride/ego and irrational/religious beliefs which have no basis in physical reality, it is harder to have a single, universally accepted view (and incrementally improved upon) of human behavior. That's why there are different ideas/theories about human behavior. Fukuyama's latest book is just another view, albeit cogently argued about the political order.
3. I submit any attempt to understand behavior must take into account the following (by no means exhaustive and comprehensive) questions:
a) Why are we here? What happens to us after we die?
b) What is the purpose of our lives (related to (a) above)? I submit that only humans have this question because, unlike animals, most humans follow more than biological imperatives of self-preservation and propagation. I think most humans want their lives to have meanings rather than just are mere accidents in the lotto of life. (Ref. Maslow's hierarchy of needs).
c) Marx glorified economics (productive forces and the relations of production) as the foundation of society and failed to take into proper account the role of human self-interest. Man always experiences the tension between selfishness and altruism.
d) Precisely Man is an animal/being/organism that is acutely aware of the clashes of his own needs as an individual versus the needs of the other individuals, he realizes that life is about power and the allocation of resources and access to resources. Thus, politics is intimately tied up with religion. Early political theories all have religious aspects ( divine right of rule, Sons of Heaven). Religion is a tool of social control through a system of rewards and punishments, not only in this life, but also in the alleged next life. The only good thing about religion is ethics. The metaphysics part is just an exercise in sophistry.
4. To sum up my inarticulate, half-baked "grand conception" of Man. Basically, there are only two types of Man: One lives no differently from that of an animal, totally concerned with biological imperatives: food, shelter, sex, and everything necessary to ensure a long life: lying, cheating, and bragging to puff up one's image. The other type goes beyond concerns for biological needs. He will fight for freedom and dignity. He is interested in acts of artistic creativity. Most importantly, he has true pride and love. Thus, he is also into altruism. He avoids needless lying and bragging. He honors his words and pledges. To evaluate/assess an individual human, we just simply look for evidence that determines what type of Man he belongs to. As for the behavior of humans as a group, I am not smart enough to formulate any theory except a few preliminary ideas about leadership, power, and political legitimacy which I will expound shortly.
''The Origins of Political Order ''
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/science/08fukuyama.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all
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