An Interdisciplinary Approach between Physics, Sociology, and Philosophy of Science

Editor by :

* Dr. Dra. Linda Elida, M.Si. : dosen Program Studi S1 Sosiologi, Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik (FISIP), Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU)-Medan. Beliau memiliki jabatan akademik Lektor.Bidang penelitian & fokus akademik Beliau cukup kuat pada isu-isu sosiologi masyarakat, konflik agraria / perkebunan, modal sosial, pemberdayaan masyarakat serta relasi kelembagaan.

* Kiyai Kh.Dr. Muhammad Sontang Sihotang, S.Si., M.Si. adalah akademisi & Dosen Fisika di Fakultas Matematika & Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam (FMIPA), Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU)-Medan. Berdasarkan profil resmi USU, beliau beraktivitas pada Program Studi S1 Fisika, Program Studi S2 Fisika & Laboratorium Fisika Inti (Nuklir), serta memiliki jabatan akademik Lektor. Bidang & jejak keilmuannya meliputi rekam jejaknya dalam publikasinya menunjukkan bahwa bidang beliau tidak berhenti pada “fisika nuklir sahaja” dalam pengertian sempit tetapi lebih kepada Applied Physics (Fisika Berdampac / impact factor to communities). Ada persinggungan dengan fisika material, karakterisasi material, lingkungan, energi & teknologi tepat guna.Misalnya, beliau tercatat sebagai penulis penelitian tentang karakterisasi XRD dan electron spin resonance pada hydroxyapatite, yang sangat relevan dengan kajian material berbasis kalsium fosfat. Data SINTA mencatat publikasi tersebut sebagai karya yang cukup banyak disitasi. Beliau juga menulis penelitian mengenai karakterisasi fisika dan kimia briket dari butt dust dan arang tempurung kelapa, yang diterbitkan di Journal of Technomaterial Physics pada 2025. Selain itu, USU mencatat kegiatan penelitian/pengabdian beliau yang berkaitan dengan filter air alami, termasuk pemanfaatan cangkang sebagai material filter. Aktivitas profesional Beliau juga tercatat dalam struktur Physical Society of Indonesia (PSI) untuk periode 2025–2029 sebagai anggota bidang Kerjasama Mitra. Ada satu fakta lain yang menarik: dalam proses pemilihan Rektor USU periode 2026–2031, nama KH. Dr. Muhammad Sontang Sihotang, S.Si., M.Si. tercantum sebagai salah satu kandidat yang lulus seleksi administratif. Jadi, secara akademik, beliau dapat digambarkan sebagai : Fisika Teori → Fisika Inti → Fisika Material → Karakterisasi Material → Energi/Lingkungan → Teknologi Terapan.Dan ini cukup menjelaskan mengapa topik seperti hidroksiapatit tulang ikan, nanomaterial, karbon, energi, filter air, serta hubungan struktur–sifat material masih dapat ditempatkan dalam satu ekosistem keilmuan fisika, meskipun manusia memang gemar membuat kotak-kotak disiplin ilmu seolah-olah atom dan material wajib mematuhi administrasi fakultas.Pengalamannya dalam bidang Fisika Teknologi Makanan, Fisika Maritim / Marine Science di Fakulti Sains & Teknologi (FST) Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)-Malaysia, Fisika Keperawatan & Kedokteran serta Pusat data & Informasi (Data Mining) @ Engineering Centre – Fakultas Teknik di Universitas Indonesia-Salemba Jakarta. Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Kedokteran @ Universitas YARSI- Cempaka Putih -Jakarta Pusat & Radiation & Protection Physics in Hospital Vrije Universiti Brussels (VUB) – Hospital Ghent – K.U (Katholieke Universiteit) Leuven, University of Antwerp @ Scholarship VLIR (Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad) – ITP (International Training Programme) , Belgium, serta Fellowship in Image Processing & Computing (IPC) @ ISM (Institute Sciences Medicine) Salzburg- Austria.

ABSTRACT

Society is a complex system composed of individuals, groups, norms, values, institutions, and interaction networks. Order and change in society can be understood not only through individual behavior, but also through the relational forces that connect individuals to other individuals and individuals to their groups. This paper discusses cohesion , affinity , and social physics as a conceptual framework for understanding the formation of attachment, closeness, solidarity, and patterns of social interaction. Cohesion in a social context is understood as the ability of a group to maintain internal ties, while affinity refers to the tendency of individuals or groups to build relationships based on shared values, interests, identities, experiences, or goals. The concept of social physics is used carefully as an analogy and systems approach , not as a claim that society is directly subject to the laws of material physics. The discussion shows that the combination of cohesion and affinity can produce social stability, solidarity, and collaboration, but under certain conditions can also produce exclusivism, polarization, and intergroup conflict. Therefore, social physics can be a transdisciplinary approach to analyzing society as a complex system that has elements of individuals, interactions, networks, social energy, and dynamics of change.

Keywords: social cohesion, social affinity, social physics, solidarity, social interaction, complex systems, society.

INTRODUCTION

Background

Humans never live completely as separate individuals. From birth, humans exist within a web of relationships with their families, neighborhoods, social groups, educational institutions, organizations, the state, and society as a whole.

These relationships produce various forms of social order. Some individuals draw closer to one another, cooperate, build trust, and form groups. On the other hand, there are also processes of division, conflict, competition, segregation, and even social disintegration.

The fundamental question is:

What causes different individuals to form a social unit?

In social sciences, this phenomenon can be explained through various concepts such as social interaction, social integration, solidarity, social identity, norms, values, and social cohesion .

However, there is another possible approach through concepts that metaphorically have similarities with physics, namely cohesion and affinity .

In materials physics, cohesion refers to the force that maintains bonds between particles of the same type, while affinity generally refers to the tendency of an element or system to interact or bond with other elements.

If the concept is used epistemologically in social sciences, an interesting question arises:

Can social relations be understood as a system that has “attraction”, “cohesion”, “affinity”, “balance” and “dynamics”?

This kind of question has a historical relationship with the idea of social physics which was once used in the development of modern social science thought, especially in the thinking of Auguste Comte .

But clear boundaries need to be established. Society is not a material entity that can be treated simply like atoms or molecules . Humans possess consciousness, will, culture, language, morality, and the ability to change the rules that govern them.

Therefore, the concept of physics in social studies should be used as an analogical and transdisciplinary model , not as an equation between humans and material particles.

CONCEPTUAL BASIS

Definition of Cohesion

In general, cohesion means the ability of various elements to remain attached or maintain their connections.

In physics, cohesion can be used to describe the tendency of similar particles or molecules to remain bonded together.

In social sciences, social cohesion refers to the level of attachment, trust, solidarity, and sense of belonging that connects members of a society.

Conceptually:

Social cohesion = the ability of a group or society to maintain its internal connectedness.

Social cohesion can be formed through:

common values;
shared norms;
collective identity;
mutual trust;
shared experiences;
common interest;
communication;
solidarity;
social justice; and
common goals.

Physical and social analogies

Simply:

Particles → interactions → bonds → structures

whereas:

Individual → interaction → relationship → group → social structure

However, this relationship is an analogy , not an identity of the laws of physics.

Understanding Affinity

Affinity comes from the idea of the tendency of an element to have a relationship or attachment to another element.

In a social context, affinity can be interpreted as:

the tendency of individuals or groups to approach, interact, and build relationships with other individuals or groups because of certain similarities or compatibility.

Affinity can arise because:

common interests;
common values;
cultural similarities;
similarity of professions;
common experience;
common goals;
geographical proximity;
intellectual equality;
common vision; or
the need to complement each other.

Examples can be seen in the formation of:

family → community → organization → association → professional network → society.

Differences between Cohesion and Affinity

Aspect	Cohesion	Affinity
Main meaning	The power of internal attachment	Tendency to build relationships
Orientation	Maintaining unity	Forming or strengthening relationships
Focus	“Stay together”	“Interested in connecting”
Base	Solidarity, trust, norms	Similarity, compatibility, interests
Results	Group integration	The formation of relationships
Risk	Group exclusivism	Preferences of certain groups

Thus, affinity can be one of the mechanisms that forms cohesion .

Conceptually:

Affinity → interaction → attachment → cohesion → social integration

SOCIAL PHYSICS

Definition of Social Physics

The term social physics has an important history in the development of social science thinking.

The basic idea is that social phenomena have patterns and regularities that can be studied systematically.

In the development of Auguste Comte’s thought, the study of society was directed towards a scientific approach. Comte initially used the term social physics before sociology became the more established term.

Thus, social physics can be understood in two senses.

First, the historical meaning

Social physics is one of the early terms in the development of thought towards scientific sociology.

Second, the contemporary understanding

Social physics can be understood as an approach that uses:

systems theory;
mathematics;
network;
statistics;
modeling;
population dynamics;
complexity theory;

to study human interaction patterns.

Society as a Complex System

Society can be viewed as a complex adaptive system .

The components can be described:

Individual

↓

Interaction

↓

Social networks

↓

Group

↓

Institution

↓

Public

↓

Social change

Interestingly, macro patterns of society often emerge from micro interactions between individuals.

This phenomenon is known as emergence .

For example:

Individuals communicate with each other
↓
habits are formed
↓
habits become norms
↓
norms become institutions
↓
institutions form the structure of society.

Thus:

Social structures can emerge from the accumulation of individual interactions.

COHESION AND AFFINITY AS SOCIAL PHYSICAL MECHANISM

Conceptual Model

We can create a simple conceptual model:

$A→I→C→SA \rightarrow I \rightarrow C \rightarrow S$

with:

$AA$ = Affinity
$II$ = Interaction
$CC$ = Cohesion
$SS$ = Social Structure

It means:

Affinity produces a tendency for interaction; repeated interaction can produce attachment; attachment produces cohesion; and cohesion can shape social structure.

“Social Style” as an Analogy

In physics there are forces that influence the motion and relationships between objects.

In the analogical approach, social relations also have various “styles”:

Social attraction

For example:

friendship;
Love;
solidarity;
common interests;
trust.

Social rejection style

For example:

conflict;
discrimination;
prejudice;
distrust;
extreme competition.

Thus an analogy can be made:

$Fsocial≈f(A,C,T,N,K)F_{social} \approx f(A,C,T,N,K)$

with:

$AA$ = affinity;
$CC$ = cohesion;
$TT$ = confidence level;
$NN$ = norm;
$KK$ = interests.

But these equations are not empirically proven laws of physics . They are conceptual frameworks that can be developed into research models.

THE IMPACT OF COHESION AND AFFINITY IN SOCIETY

Positive Impacts

1. Strengthening solidarity

Cohesion makes members of society better able to help each other when facing problems.

2. Increase cooperation

Affinity creates relationships based on shared goals or interests.

3. Increase trust

Repeated interactions can build trust.

4. Reduce internal conflict

Groups with high cohesion usually have stronger internal mechanisms for resolving conflict.

5. Encourage innovation

Intellectual affinity can bring together individuals from different disciplines.

For example:

Physics + Chemistry + Biology + Engineering + Social Sciences

can produce transdisciplinary research.

Negative Impacts

Cohesion doesn’t always lead to good things. Humans, with their extraordinary talent for forming groups, also have an equally extraordinary talent for being suspicious of other groups.

1. Exclusivism

Too strong internal cohesion can result in:

“our group” versus “their group”.

2. Polarization

Overly selective affinity can cause individuals to only interact with people who share their views.

3. Intergroup conflict

If two groups have high internal cohesion but low intergroup affinity, conflict may arise.

4. Echo chamber

In a digital society, algorithms and user preferences can reinforce individuals’ tendencies to only accept information that aligns with their beliefs.

5. Social fragmentation

If affinities form in many small groups without bridges between groups, society can experience fragmentation.

SOCIAL BALANCE MODEL

Social balance is not enough just by increasing cohesion.

What is needed is a balance between:

$Internal Cohesion + External Affinity\boxed{\text{Internal Cohesion} + \text{External Affinity}}$

Internal cohesion keeps the group solid.

External affinity allows the group to relate to other groups.

The ideal model:

INDIVIDUAL
↓
AFFINITY
↓
INTERACTION
↓
COHESION
↓
SOLIDARITY
↓
INTER-GROUP NETWORKS
↓
SOCIAL INTEGRATION

Thus, a healthy society is not a society whose members are all identical.

On the contrary:

A healthy society is one that is able to maintain cohesion without losing openness to other groups.

SOCIAL PHYSICS & THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE

The social physics approach is interesting because it brings together several levels of analysis:

Micro scale

Individual → perception → decision → interaction

Mesoscale

Group → organization → community

Macro scale

Institution → state → society → civilization

So that a multi-scale social concept can be built :

$Micro→Meso→Macro\text{Micro} \rightarrow \text{Meso} \rightarrow \text{Macro}$

It has methodological similarities to materials physics.

In physics:

$Atom→Molecule→Nanostructure→Material\text{Atom} \rightarrow \text{Molecule} \rightarrow \text{Nanostructure} \rightarrow \text{Material}$

In social sciences:

$Individual→Group→Network→Society\text{Individual} \rightarrow \text{Group} \rightarrow \text{Network} \rightarrow \text{Society}$

Both demonstrate the idea of emergence , that is, the emergence of higher-level characteristics from the interaction of lower-level components.

But then again, humans are not atoms waiting to be measured under a social microscope. The variables of consciousness, culture, language, values, and will make social systems much more complex.

IMPLICATIONS OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

The social physics approach raises important epistemological questions:

Can social laws be treated like physical laws?

The answer: not directly .

The laws of material physics tend to have a universal character within a certain domain of validity.

Meanwhile, social phenomena are influenced by:

history;
culture;
Language;
institutions;
economy;
technology;
psychology;
political;
mark;
human consciousness.

Therefore, a social physics approach should not aim to turn sociology into physics , but rather to use systemic thinking from physics to help understand social patterns, interactions, networks, dynamics, and complexity .

This is the key point of the transdisciplinary approach.

CONCLUSION

Based on the description above, it can be concluded that:

Social cohesion is an internal bond that maintains the unity of a group or society.
Social affinity is the tendency of individuals or groups to build relationships based on similarities, compatibility, interests, or certain goals.
Affinity can be a mechanism that generates social interaction and cohesion .
Social physics has historical roots in the attempt to understand society scientifically and is related to the development of Auguste Comte’s thought towards sociology.
In a contemporary context, social physics can be used as a complex systems, network, mathematical, statistical, and modeling approach to social phenomena.
Cohesion has positive impacts in the form of solidarity, integration, trust and cooperation, but excessive cohesion can result in exclusivism and polarization.
Affinity can strengthen collaboration, but overly selective affinity can create fragmentation and conflict between groups.
A stable society requires a balance between internal cohesion and external affinity .
The analogy of physics in social sciences must be used epistemologically with caution because humans have consciousness, culture, values, and will.
This approach opens up space for transdisciplinary social science , especially through the integration of physics, mathematics, sociology, psychology, network science, and complexity theory.

SUGGESTION

The concepts of cohesion and affinity need to be developed as conceptual and operational variables in social research.
Future research could develop a social cohesion index based on trust, solidarity, interaction, and sense of belonging.
Social affinity can be studied through social network analysis .
The relationship between cohesion and intergroup conflict needs to be studied empirically.
Social physics models should be tested using real data, not just philosophical analogies.
The complex adaptive systems approach can be used to understand social change.
Integration between physics, mathematics, computer science, psychology, and sociology needs to be developed in transdisciplinary research.

BIG FRAMEWORK

The conceptual framework of this paper can be summarized as follows:

                  MASYARAKAT
                      │
          ┌───────────┴───────────┐
          │                       │
       INDIVIDU                INDIVIDU
          │                       │
          └────── AFINITAS ───────┘
                      │
                  INTERAKSI
                      │
              ┌───────┴───────┐
              │               │
          KEPERCAYAAN      KOMUNIKASI
              │               │
              └───────┬───────┘
                      │
                   KOHESI
                      │
                SOLIDARITAS
                      │
              INTEGRASI SOSIAL
                      │
              STRUKTUR SOSIAL
                      │
              PERUBAHAN SOSIAL

Conceptual formula

$Affinity→Interaction→Cohesion→Solidarity→Integration→Social Transformation\boxed{ \text{Affinity} \rightarrow \text{Interaction} \rightarrow \text{Cohesion} \rightarrow \text{Solidarity} \rightarrow \text{Integration} \rightarrow \text{Social Transformation} }$

Meanwhile, from a system perspective:

$Micro Individual→Meso Group→Macro Society\boxed{ \text{Micro Individual} \rightarrow \text{Meso Group} \rightarrow \text{Macro Society} }$

This is the most academically interesting part: cohesion and affinity can serve as conceptual bridges between the micro phenomena of individuals and the macro phenomena of society , while “social physics” provides the language of systems, networks, dynamics, and complexity to study them. However, to be a strong scientific paper , the analogy will need to be clearly distinguished between metaphor , mathematical model , and empirical law .(ms2)