1874 depiction of the 'tree of knowledge' by Henry Carey. [1]

In science, social science refers to a number of branches of study of human existence, in its various facets, namely: sociology, anthropology, economics, history, politics, psychology, law, among others. The following quote by American economist Henry Carey outlines the subject of 'social science':


Here, it seems, Carey is alluding to the concept of the person as human molecule.

Social science: 1874
In his 1874 chapter on 'Social Science', American economist Henry Carey opened with the following 17th century quote by Francis Bacon:

“The distributions and partitions of knowledge are not like several lines that meet in one angle, and touch but in a point; but are like branches of a tree that meet in a stem, which hath a dimension and quantity of entireness and continuance before it comes to discontinuance and break itself into arms and boughs; therefore, it is good before we enter into the former distribution, to create and constitute one universal science by the name of Philosophia Prima, or Summary Philosophy, as the main or common way, before we come where the ways part and divide themselves.”

then went on to outline how, in the modern 'tree of knowledge', pictured adjacent, that the subject of social science would consist of political economy and jurisprudence. In more detail, the tree has roots to consist of: matter (animal life, vegetable life, attraction, indivisibility, inertia, impenetrability, mechanical forces, chemical forces); and the tree to consist of man as the trunk, with branches of: physics (chemistry, chemical dynamics, natural philosophy, physical dynamics), organology (biology, zoology, phytology, vegetable physicology), social science, social science (political economy, jurisprudence), psychology (ethics, theology), along with intuition, and inspiration. [1]

See also
● Social energetics
● Social mechanics
● Social mechanism
● Social thermodynamics
● Social physics
● Socio-thermodynamics

References
1. Carey, H.C. and McKean, Kate. (1874). Manual of Social Science: Being a Condensation of ‘The Principles of Social Science’ of H.C. Carey (ch.1: Social Science, pgs. 25; molecule, pg. 37). Industrial Publisher.

External links
● Social science – Wikipedia.