Science is defined in many different ways in various dictionaries and encyclopedias. In general, the word itself comes from the Latin Scientia which simply means knowledge. In Webster's dictionary, you will find several definitions of science. The first definition in Webster is "a state of knowing or knowledge." This is the simplest definition, but it does not suit our purposes here. The second definition in Webster speaks to "a systematized body of knowledge that can be studied." It is, however, Webster's third definition that we are most interested in here as it defines both the natural and the social sciences. This third definition is as follows: "Science is a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws obtained and tested through the scientific method." What, then, is the scientific method? According to Wikipedia, it is "an empirical method of gaining knowledge through observation, experimentation, testing, and refinement." The scientific method involves creating a hypothesis and then conducting research and experiments to either prove or disprove the hypothesis. The term empirical is important. Empirical data is data obtained through observation and experience that can be proved or disproved. The work of the social sciences must be empirical to be considered actual science. So, with these definitions in mind, I will discuss the social sciences and the definition of sociology.
THE SOCIAL SCIENCES The term "social science" first appeared in the book called An Inquiry into the Principles of the Distribution of Wealth Most Conducive to Human Happiness. The
year was eighteen twenty four, and the writer was William Thompson. Even
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