Antedating of "Social Science"

[Fred Shapiro]

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004, Mark A. Mandel wrote:

> 1746 William Collins _Odes on several descriptive and allegoric
> subjects_
> (1747) 43  Alluring him from a safer Rule, To dream in her enchanted
> School; Thou Heav'n, whate'er of Great we boast, Hast blest this social
> Science most.
>         <<<
> Without more context, including the antecedent of "this social science",
> I think it impossible to tell here whether "social science" is being
> used in anything like the current sense.

I assume that, like the John Adams quote in OED, this is not being used in
anything like the current sense.  I should have put the citation in square
brackets.

Fred Shapiro


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