Positivism: history, characteristics and representatives

We tell you what positivism is, its history and characteristics. Furthermore, its main representatives and the positivism of Auguste Comte.

Comte is considered the father of positivism.

What is positivism?

Positivism is a philosophical current based on the philosophy of the French thinker Auguste Comte (1798-1857).. It is characterized by prioritizing the scientific method and empirical observation as legitimate sources of knowledge, as opposed to metaphysical speculation. It is considered a critical and constructive theory supported by a creative epistemology in the sense of a scientific positivism.

Positivism was born in the mid-nineteenth century as the heir of empiricism and epistemology.. Its founders are considered to have been Auguste Comte and Henri Saint-Simon (1760-1825). Both maintained that one should only aspire to the knowledge that arises from applying the scientific method. John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) is also considered an important antecedent of positivism.

Characteristics of positivism

Broadly speaking, positivism can be characterized by the following postulates:

• Any philosophical or scientific activity must be carried out through the analysis of real facts once verified through experience.
• Reality is not related to the person doing the research. The researcher is an observer.
• Philosophy is a system of acts, not a set of propositions.
• In positivism, documented evidence fundamentally prevails.

History and background of positivism

As a philosophy and as an epistemology, The predecessors of positivism are the formers of the positive sciencewhich is the term Comte uses instead of science of observation. The philosophy either positive science It is one that is based on facts and experience, and arises in opposition to theological philosophy and metaphysical philosophy.

Historians point out that antecedent to positivism, its relationship with the concept of progress. The idea of ​​progress is understood as the movement of human experience that includes the time factor versus the permanence of nature. Progress, along with time, advances hand in hand with positive spiritwhich gives access to Comte’s “rational positivity” and from which positivism emerges.

The positive philosophy

Philosophies that are based on observation and experience, like all the nominalisms (who advocate names and not substances) and the phenomenalisms (who advocate for the phenomenon), are precursors of positivism. Such is the case of David Hume (1711-1776) or Jean Le Rond d’Alembert (1717-1783), both focused on observed facts and not on metaphysics.

The philosophy of Claude Bernard (1813-1878), Claude Louis Berthollet (1748-1822) and Marcellin Berthelot (1827-1907), as well as the utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill and the evolutionism by Herbert Spencer (1820-1903), are close to and precursors of positivism.

He logical empiricism of the Vienna Circlein which Otto Neurath (1882-1945) and Rudolf Carnap (1891-1970) participated, It is also a form of positive philosophyalthough it is not considered a precursor to positivism, but rather a similar and, in many cases, sister movement.

The scientific positivism of Auguste Comte

Auguste Comte (1798-1857), together with Henri de Saint-Simon (1760-1825) and Pierre-Simon Laplace (1749-1827), laid the foundations of positivism.

In 1842 Comte published Positive philosophy course and, in 1844, Speech about positive spirit. In these works he presented his analysis of the current knowledge at the time, necessary to account for the evolutionary idea of ​​knowledge, as well as the general theory of positivism as the first philosophy.

Evolutionary idea of ​​knowledge

The evolutionary idea of ​​knowledge consists, according to Comte, of three steps: theological knowledge, metaphysical knowledge and positive knowledge. They account for the evolutionary development from a belief to a fact.

1. Theological knowledge. It is any form of knowledge mediated by mythology, theology and belief in the supernatural.
2. Metaphysical knowledge. It is any form of knowledge mediated by the field of metaphysics and speculative philosophy.
3. Positive knowledge. It is all knowledge that responds to the maturational stage of the human being, in accordance with the use of the scientific method, the trust in physics and the use of biology to be able to explain the order of the world.

These steps describe the movement that leads from belief to faith and from faith to reason until reaching the stage where human beings can govern themselves.

Representatives of positivism

The main representatives of positivism are:

• Henri de Saint-Simon (1760-1825). He played a pivotal role in promoting and developing positivism. He emphasized the importance of applying the scientific method to the study of society and economics, with the goal of finding rational solutions to social problems and promoting human progress.
• Auguste Comte (1798-1857). His philosophical approach maintained that human knowledge should be based on empirical observation and the scientific method, rejecting metaphysical and theological speculations. Comte believed that society and humanity evolved through three stages: theological, metaphysical, and positive. In the positive stage, reason and science would gradually replace explanations based on religion and abstract philosophy. He also emphasized the importance of sociology as a scientific discipline for understanding and improving society.
• Émile Durkheim (1858-1917). Following in the tradition of Auguste Comte, Durkheim argued that the study of society should be based on scientific methods and empirical observation, avoiding subjective interpretations or metaphysical speculations. He is known for his emphasis on the importance of social cohesion and solidarity in a society, as well as for his pioneering study of suicide, in which he rigorously applied quantitative methods to understand this phenomenon from a scientific perspective.
• John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)Although Mill was not one of the founders of positivism, his work helped to give it shape and depth. In his philosophy, he argued for the importance of basing knowledge on experience and observation, advocating utilitarianism as a fundamental ethical principle, which sought to maximize happiness and general well-being. He also promoted the idea that science could shed light on moral and social issues, thus establishing a bridge between scientific research and ethical decision-making. His approach contributed to the spread of positivist principles and its influence can be seen in the later development of philosophy and social science.

Logical positivism

Logical positivism or logical empiricism, also called “neopositivism” or “rational empiricism”, emerged within the Vienna Circleat the beginning of the 20th century.

It is part of the philosophies of science, which They limit the validity of the scientific method to that which is empirical and verifiable.. That is, philosophies of science are usually dedicated to that which has its own verification method or, in any case, analytical. This is known as verificationism.

Unlike positivism, Logical positivism is much stricter in its defense of science as the only viable route to knowledge.. At its time, it was one of the strongest movements within analytical philosophy, even dedicating itself to logic and language.

Reception and influences of positivism

With the passage of time, positivism branched and diversified into different fields and areas of knowledge.

• Juspositivism. It is a current in the philosophy of law that maintains that the validity of laws and norms is based exclusively on their promulgation by political or legislative authority, and not necessarily on their correspondence with ethical or moral principles. Legal positivists argue that law is a social and conventional phenomenon, and that its study should focus on the rules and procedures that constitute the legal system of a society, regardless of its ethical or philosophical content.
• behaviorism. It is a current in psychology that focuses on the study of observable and measurable behavior, excluding internal processes such as thoughts and emotions. Behaviorists believe that human behavior is the product of responses to environmental stimuli, and they focus on identifying the laws and patterns that govern these responses. This perspective highlights the importance of controlled experimentation and empirical observation to understand how stimuli and rewards affect behavior and how they can be modified to achieve desirable changes.
• empiriocriticismEmpiricism is a philosophical current that combines elements of empiricism and criticism, and focuses on sensory experience as the main source of knowledge. It emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a response to idealism and sought a more scientific and realistic approach to understanding the world. Empiriocriticists argue that we can only know the world through our senses and that our sensory perceptions are the basis of all knowledge. In addition, they emphasize the need to subject our beliefs and theories to constant logical and empirical criticism to ensure their validity.

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References

• Kraft, V. (1977). The Vienna Circle. Taurus.
• Adorno, Th. (1973). The dispute over positivism in German philosophy. Grijalbo.
• Frick, J. P. (1990). Auguste Comte, ou La République positive. Presses universitaires de Nancy.
• Giddens, A. (1974). Positivism and Sociology. Heinemann.
• Comte, A. (1965). Discourse on the positive spirit. Aguilar.
• Comte, A. (1875). Principles of positive philosophy. imp. of the Lib. of Mercury.