[Purpose/Significance] National high-quality development, construction of China's modernized economic systemscientific, technological development and prosperous development of social sciences all require scientific social science research management. [Process/Methodology] Focusing on the problem of social science research management that favored science thinking and ignores liberal arts thinking in practice and its involutional manifestations, the principle of individual-organizational choice and the principle of rule-ethical choice were analyzed to fit the needs of social science research management. The social science research based on value rationality of liberal arts thinking was compared with the natural science research based on instrumental rationality of science thinking to explore the role of liberal arts thinking in the management of social science research. [Results/Conclusions] Taking soft knowledge as the core and handhold of management, changing the concepts from researchers, research process, research results and talent cultivation service and evaluation, returning to the liberal arts thinking and according to the characteristics of social sciences and their scientific research, this paper proposed the idea and method of social science research management based on soft knowledge service and evaluation. It will be beneficial to the creation of an excellent scientific research culture, the rising enthusiasm of researchers, and cultivating of talents who can generate scientific achievements and new thoughts. It not only serves the development of social economy and science and technology, but also serves the prosperity and development of social science.