Meanings
plural moral sciences
- countableuncountableThe systematic, scientific study of human nature and relationships.
Adam Smith conceived of economics as a moral science in the Humean sense.
Origin
The term was used by David Hume (1711–1776) in his Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals, and subsequently adopted by some other scholars.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
moral science. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moral%20science
“moral science.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moral%20science. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “moral science,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moral%20science.
Source: moral science on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.