661-2
“
And if the experience of natural science is any guide, then as the science of administration advances, we may reasonably expect it to take on an increasingly deterministic character. As research, scientific societies, and the exchanges of knowledge and hypotheses by natural scientists have advanced the exactness of knowledge in the domain of natural science, so we may expect research, administrative societies, and the exchanges among administrators to advance the exactness of knowledge in the domain of administration.
— Charles A. Beard
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "And if the experience of natural science is any guide, then as the science of administration advances, we may reasonably expect it to take on an increasingly deterministic character. As research, scientific societies, and the exchanges of knowledge and hypotheses by natural scientists have advanced the exactness of knowledge in the domain of natural science, so we may expect research, administrative societies, and the exchanges among administrators to advance the exactness of knowledge in the domain of administration." in the context of "661-2" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Charles A. Beard" (Quotes, Philosophy, Science and Art of Public Administration (1939): Address delivered before The Annual Conference of the Governmental Research Association, Princeton, New Jersey (8 September 1939), as quoted in Administration (1949) by Albert Lepawsky)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Charles A. Beard
Charles Austin Beard (27 November 1874 – 1 September 1948) was an influential American historian. He stressed the importance of economic factors in American constitutional history. His partner was the historian Mary Ritter Beard
About Charles A. Beard
Charles Austin Beard (27 November 1874 – 1 September 1948) was an influential American historian. He stressed the importance of economic factors in American constitutional history. His partner was the historian Mary Ritter Beard
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