THAT the social sciences are in their infancy has
come to be a platitude amongst writers of
textbooks on the subject. They will argue that this is
because the social sciences have been slow to emulate
the natural sciences and emancipate themselves from
the dead hand of philosophy; that there was a time
when there was no clear distinction between
philosophy and natural science; but that owing to the
transformation of this state of affairs round about the
seventeenth century natural science has made great
bounds ever since. But, we are told, this revolution has
not yet taken place in the social sciences, or at least it
is only now in process of taking place. Perhaps social
science has not yet found its Newton but the conditions
are being created in which such a genius could arise.
But above all, it is urged, we must follow the methods
of natural science rather than those of philosophy if we
are to make any significant progress.