Comte, Durkheim – Positivism
Lazarsfeld – Empiricism
Feyerabend – Relativism
Lévi-Straus Structuralism
Positivism
Main traits of positivism are stated.
- An object of science can be only facts
- Entire true and valuable knowledge can be reached only by empirical methods
- Progress of human knowledge is being created by permanent cumulation of attainment
- Any reality can be investigated by the similar methods, the ideal model is natural science
- These methods can solve socio-politics and ethic issues
Auguste Comte
- The name “positivism” is based on the positive philosophy of Comte and his philosophy of history.
- Knowledge is rooted in facts in contradiction to opinions based on speculation
- He stated the unity of six meanings (in this context)
- Real vs illusive
- Useful vs useless
- Certain vs indecisive (irresolute)
- Exact vs vague (wispy)
- Positive vs negative
- Relative vs absolute