Positivism Defined: Comte’s Influence & Scientific Approach
Positivism: Definition and Historical Context
While recognizing diverse backgrounds, positivism, mainly associated with empirical thought, established itself in the second half of the nineteenth century as both a scientific method and a philosophical conception of the world. Broadly defined, positivism is a philosophical stance opposing idealism and rejecting metaphysics, based on a belief in facts or realities accessible through the senses. It accompanied the processes of secularization and industrialism, underpinning foundational concepts of the social order of its time, such as order and progress.
Auguste Comte’s Positivism
The work of Auguste Comte, specifically Discours sur l’esprit positif, published in 1844, systematizes the characteristics of nineteenth-century positivism. It establishes a system of knowledge based on three basic aspects:
- A philosophy of history, which distinguishes three stages:
- Theological: Phenomena are explained by divine power.
- Metaphysical: Causes of phenomena are abstract ideas or rational principles.
- Positive: Metaphysical hypotheses are replaced by the investigation of phenomena aimed at verifying and establishing laws of experience.
- A classification of the sciences based on their object.
- A sociology or doctrine of society.
Core Principles of Comte’s Positivist Method
The basic rules of Comte’s positivist method are:
- Observation is the basis of all knowledge. What can be known is not the essence of things, but the relationships or connections between observed phenomena. This leads to the study of phenomena, giving up the attempt to discover their origin or final destination (a waiver of metaphysics). This observation is objective, meaning it is independent of the knowing subject. Neutrality and objectivity are central aspirations or pretensions of positivism.
- Knowledge of these relationships should lead to the formulation of laws that account for the constant relations between observed phenomena.
Laws, Forecasting, and Induction in Positivism
Well-established laws are intended for rational forecasting. Since they express a constant and necessary order of observed phenomena, they can predict future behavior. The establishment of laws, on the other hand, does not imply assessment. From this perspective, value judgments have no cognitive function and should be avoided.
- Induction is set as the preferred method of positivism: From systematic and repeated observation, and through comparison and classification, conclusions leading to general laws are drawn. This also implies that the mere accumulation of data is not sufficient; it requires interpretation.
Positivism as a Scientific Approach
As a scientific method, positivism had immense potential, as it enabled the furthering of knowledge production about nature, facilitating its handling and use. The emphasis on the observation of reality and the resignation to idealism and value judgments were also functional to an already established social order. This order was not interested in self-reflection but in understanding more about its operation, thereby obtaining resources or tools that contributed to its consolidation.