positivism

[ poz-i-tuh-viz-uh m ]

/ ˈpɒz ɪ təˌvɪz əm /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR positivism ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state or quality of being positive; definiteness; assurance.

a philosophical system founded by Auguste Comte, concerned with positive facts and phenomena, and excluding speculation upon ultimate causes or origins.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

positive stain, positive theology, positive vetting, positive-negative pressure breathing, positively, positivism, positivity, positron, positron emission tomography, positronium, posole

Origin of positivism

First recorded in 1850–55; positive + -ism

Related forms

pos·i·tiv·ist, adjective, nounpos·i·tiv·is·tic, adjectivepos·i·tiv·is·ti·cal·ly, adverbnon·pos·i·tiv·is·tic, adjective

un·pos·i·tiv·is·tic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for positivism

Let us turn now to positivism, and consider what is its position.
Is Life Worth Living?|William Hurrell Mallock
He was an absolute positivist; his positivism did not make him self-assertive nor peremptory; on the contrary, it oppressed him.
Contemporary Russian Novelists|Serge Persky
But Positivism perhaps is not necessarily tied to the 'pre-formation' theory.
Recent Developments in European Thought|Various
I suppose that the currency obtained by the words 'Positivism' and 'Positivist,' is to blame for this.
Illustrations of Universal Progress|Herbert Spencer

The only great attempt to meet that at present is Positivism.
Natural Law in the Spiritual World|Henry Drummond

British Dictionary definitions for positivism

positivism

/ (ˈpɒzɪtɪˌvɪzəm) /

noun

a strong form of empiricism, esp as established in the philosophical system of Auguste Comte, that rejects metaphysics and theology as seeking knowledge beyond the scope of experience, and holds that experimental investigation and observation are the only sources of substantial knowledgeSee also logical positivism

Also called: legal positivism the jurisprudential doctrine that the legitimacy of a law depends on its being enacted in proper form, rather than on its contentCompare natural law (def. 3)

the quality of being definite, certain, etc

Derived Forms

positivist, noun, adjectivepositivistic, adjectivepositivistically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Culture definitions for positivism

positivism

An approach to philosophy frequently found in the twentieth century. Positivists usually hold that all meaningful statements must be either logical inferences or sense descriptions, and they usually argue that the statements found in metaphysics, such as “Human beings are free” or “Human beings are not free,” are meaningless because they cannot possibly be verified by the senses.