Definition of positivism Positivism

/pɑˈzʌtɪvɪˌzʌm/ - [pazutivizum] - pos•i•tiv•ism

We found 7 definitions of positivism from 4 different sources.

What does positivism mean?

Noun Plural: positivisms
positivism - the form of empiricism that bases all knowledge on perceptual experience (not on intuition or revelation)
		logical positivism
		empiricist philosophy, empiricism, sensationalism the application of empirical methods in any art or science
positivism - a quality or state characterized by certainty or acceptance or affirmation and dogmatic assertiveness
		positivity, positiveness
		negativism, negativeness, negativity an amount less than zero
		quality an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone; "the quality of mercy is not strained"--Shakespeare

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positivism (Noun)
A doctrine that states that the only authentic knowledge is scientific knowledge, and that such knowledge can only come from positive affirmation of theories through strict scientific method , refusing every form of metaphysics.
positivism (Noun)
Practical spirit, sense of reality, concreteness.
positivism (Noun)
A school of thought in jurisprudence in which the law is seen as separated from moral values, i. e. the law is posited by lawmakers humans.

positivism (n.)
A system of philosophy originated by M. Auguste Comte, which deals only with positives. It excludes from philosophy everything but the natural phenomena or properties of knowable things, together with their invariable relations of coexistence and succession, as occurring in time and space. Such relations are denominated laws, which are to be discovered by observation, experiment, and comparison. This philosophy holds all inquiry into causes, both efficient and final, to be useless and unprofitable.