positivists

Positivists are proponents of positivism, a philosophy that holds that meaningful knowledge derives from sensory experience and verified facts, and that scientific methods should guide inquiry. The movement was articulated by Auguste Comte in the early 19th century as an attempt to apply the methods of the natural sciences to society. Comte proposed that human thought progresses through three stages—the theological, the metaphysical, and the positive—and that sociology should be developed as a rigorous science to uncover the laws governing social life. Positivists typically emphasized empirical observation, measurement, and the search for general laws across disciplines.

In the 20th century, logical positivism (also called logical empiricism) broadened the positivist project. Associated with the Vienna Circle, it held that meaningful statements are either empirically verifiable or analytically true, and that metaphysical assertions lie beyond cognitive meaningfulness. This movement influenced analytic philosophy, science studies, and the interpretation of scientific language. Notable figures include Moritz Schlick, Rudolf Carnap, and, in the English-speaking world, A. J. Ayer.

Positivism shaped the methods of the social sciences by promoting systematic observation and the formulation of testable hypotheses. It faced substantial critique, notably the view that the verifiability criterion is too restrictive and that observation is theory-laden. Critics such as Karl Popper, Thomas Kuhn, and others argued for alternative accounts of science that accommodate conjecture, falsification, and paradigm shifts. Nevertheless, the positivist emphasis on empirical testing and the role of science in understanding both natural and social phenomena continues to influence contemporary philosophy of science and related disciplines.