Professor
Interesting essay.
My views of the roles of science and of history are a little different.
Re: Adams' speculation re history concluding that human society is heading in the direction of socialism.(One of three alternatives)
Why not plug in globalization, and ask Adams' question that way, since everyone has been talking about universities and issues of race discrimination ethnicity civilization and competitiveness?
'Specifically, Adams said, history might eventually conclude that human society was heading towards globalization (not socialism)--and thus declare war on existing institutions. "Would property, on which the universities depend, allow such freedom of instruction?" he asked. "Would the state suffer its foundation to be destroyed? Would society as now constituted tolerate the open assertion of a necessity which should affirm its approaching overthrow?"
It seems to me that one can make a very good case that that is what globalization has been doing, much more effectively than Adams' conception of mere socialism ever could, even though the utopian ideal of socialism is also a global rather than a national one.
All the best
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