positivism
positivism
Definition
posi·tiv·ism (päz′ə tiv iz′əm)
noun
- the quality or state of being positive; certainty; assurance
- overconfidence or dogmatism
- a system of philosophy basing knowledge solely on data of sense experience; esp., a system of philosophy, originated by Auguste Comte, based solely on observable, scientific facts and their relations to each other: it rejects speculation about or search for ultimate origins
Etymology: Fr positivisme < positif
pos′i·tiv·ist noun, adjective
pos′i·tiv·is′·tic adjective
positivism
Law Definition
n
The view that true knowledge
comes from studying observable traits and actions rather than through reasoning
or speculating.
positivism
Usage Examples
Adjective modifier
- logical: His most obvious achievement was to have been a major force in bringing about the final demise of logical positivism.
- mystical: In mystical positivism, the errors of both are combined together to form a potent ' grand narrative ' for our age.
- legal: On Hart's account of legal positivism, however, a private citizen may adopt this detached attitude toward legal rules.
- second: The mid-1860s marks the beginning of the " Second Positivism " .
- scientific: Many economists avoid this by adhering to a strict scientific positivism.
- early: Gray goes back to the origins of our notion of modernity in early nineteenth-century Positivism.
Browse dictionary entries near positivism
- positively
- positive yield curve
- positive spread investing
- positive sign
- positive law
- positive intrinsic negative
- positive electricity
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- position trader
- positivity
- positron
- positronium
- posology
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- possessed
- possessing
