Positivism in Social Sciences

POSITIVISM PRESENTED BY: SUMITRA RANI JANA DEPT. OF GEOGRAPHY(UG &PG), BAJKUL MILANI MAHAVIDYALAYA. M.Sc. SEMESTER-IV, SESSION 2018-2019.

INTRODUCTION: Positivism is derived from French word positivisme or positif that philosophically means imposed on the mind by experience . Positivism is based on the principle that scientific methods of explanation are valid, reliable and replicable. French philosopher and social thinker August Comte for the first time put forward this concept of positivismin series of text books during 1830-1842 entitled The Course in Positive Philosophy . The first three volume of this course dealt with already existing natural sciences like mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry and biology. The rests include the philosophy of social science. Comte is regarded as the first philosopher of science because he explained the philosophical principle of science and established the importance of theory and observation in science. Comte s primary concern was to make science free from religion and metaphysics. Comte believed that, the physical science has necessarily to arrive first, before humanity could adequately channel its efforts into the most challenging and complex principles of human society. Positivists think that social science follows the same rules as other sciences . It only needs a separate method of teaching and learning, as it includes a much complex process.

PRINCIPLE: Positivism is based on the following principles- a. Scientific methods are empirical, rigorous and based on analytical reasoning. These are not speculative, emotional and romantic. b. Positivism concentrates more on real and empirically observable phenomena; than the imaginary, speculative, undecided and imprecise phenomena. Comte believed in objective collection of data through common methods of observation that could be replicated. c. Hypothesis and theories are formulated that can be tested systematically using rigorous scientific analysis. Thus laws are to be developed to explain human behaviour. d. comte rejected metaphysical and normative questions as they could not be answered scientifically . e. Comte derived the stages of evolution of society. He believed that human society experienced three phases of understanding in the quest of truth. i. theological stage ii. Metaphysical stage iii. Positive and Scientific stage

MAIN CONCEPT OF POSITIVISM- STEPS LEADING TO SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE: According to comte, a statement can be raised to the state of science through the five following steps, which are equally applicable to any discipline: A scientific statement should be based on direct observation which is replicable. A scientific observation can be repeated by following the same procedure as was used before. Improvement of a scientific study can be possible through the construction of formal theories based on such statements and their testing by rigorous scientific method. All scientific laws are strictly mechanical in nature. A comprehensive knowledge or theoretical base of a subject is developed by the increasing number of scientific laws. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

POSITIVISM AND GEOGRAPHY At the outset of modern geography, Humboldt and Ritter did not completely follow positivism. Their age was followed by regionalist approach which also did not completely follow scientific approach of positivism. After the period from 1950s-1960s scientific approach was being widely used in all branches of geographical studies. The followers of this approach were determined to construct laws by generalization. Thus geography came to be known as a positivistic science through quantitative revolution. All geographers readily accepted positivism in their derivation, validation and integration to understand spatial organization in the new quantitative scientific geography.

LOGICAL POSITIVISM: Logical positivism is to some degree an extension and alteration of empirical positivism of comte. During the period from 1920-1930, a group of philosophers, mathematicians and natural scientists unitedly formed Vienna Circle to meet frequently at Vienna. During early years, logical positivists strongly believed that problems can be solved by logical analysis in scientific methods, and thus they completely rejected metaphysics, religion and mythology. The position of logical positivist s philosophy was changed showing greater respect to empiricism-example, illustrations and common sense. Their main opinions and concepts were brought out in 1929, in a book entitled the scientific conception of the world: the vienna circle . Vienna circle was comprised of Schlicke, Neurath, Hahn, Waissmann, Von Wright, Briathwaite supported logical positivism.

MAIN PRINCIPLES OF LOGICAL POSITIVISM: A. Analytical statement B. Hypothesis construction and testing C. Deductive Axioms

CRITICISM OF POSITIVISM: Positivism, though widely used, was also criticized by many critics. Bowen said , Almost every aspect of the prescribed method can be shown to be open to question . D. Gregory(2005) represented that critics criticize positivism mainly on four points: these are- a) Empiricism b) Exclusivity c) Autonomy d) Universality

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