Despite the contemporary association between (neo)realism and positivism Scientific Man has been considered a critique of attempts to place politics on a 'scientific' footing in works such as Charles Merriam's New Aspects of Politics.
Meski memaparkan hubungan antara (neo)realisme dan positivisme, Scientific Man dianggap sebagai kritik terhadap upaya-upaya menempatkan politik dengan dasar 'ilmiah' dalam sejumlah buku seperti New Aspects of Politics karya Charles Merriam.