The term social sciences encompasses a large group of disciplines. It includes law, politics, management, economics, sociology, psychology, education and information sciences. Demography, social anthropology and social geography are also attributed to the field of sociology. All of them have one thing in common: they study interpersonal relationships.
Social sciences in Lithuania have a rich history. In the 16th century, three Statutes of Lithuania were adopted. They contained a theoretical summary of economic principles corresponding to the feudal economy. At that time, scholastic psychology entered the education system and the first steps towards the theoretical pedagogical thought were made. In 1803, Vilnius University Rector Hieronim Stroynowski initiated the establishment of the Department of Political Economy, which may have been the first of its kind in the world.
During the independence period, Lithuania saw the creation of the state’s legal, financial, monetary and education systems. The works by Michał Römer (on constitutional law) and Petras Leonas (on legal theory) hold profound significance. Vytautas Andrius Graičiūnas’ works on organisational management even received international recognition, while Stasys Šalkauskis developed a complete education system grounded in the principles of versatility, harmony and subordination.
During the Soviet occupation, the development of social sciences slowed down due to ideological constraints. On the other hand, scientists from the Institute of Economics of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences as well as the Institute of National Economic Planning and Economic Research of the State Plan Committee formulated the balance principles of Lithuania’s territorial layout and its material and labour resources. Thanks to their contribution, industrial facilities were evenly distributed throughout Lithuania, which in turn significantly hindered the Russification process.
