4 PICS, 1 WORD

POSITIVISM
OBJECTIVES
Define what is positivism and identify how it came
to existence.

Explain how man became more rational and

scientific through different theoretical conditions.

Give examples on each stage of the law of human

progress.
WHAT CAN YOU SEE?
ETYMOLOGY
It originated from the French word
positivisme, derived from positif which in its
philosophical sense means “imposed on the
mind by experience”.

Despite its name, positivism has nothing to

do with “positive thinking” or optimism –
it’s just a coincidence that they have similar
names.
POSITIVISM
Positivism is a philosophical system deeply rooted in
science and mathematics. It’s based on the view that
whatever exists can be verified through scientific method.

The fact or the factual is an

object that can be observed
empirically with our
senses.
AGUSTE COMTE
He argues that
observation and
experiment are the
principal means in
the search for truth.

He proposed that theism and

metaphysics should be rejected
since these modes of knowledge
cannot be proven and, therefore,
are unreliable.
AUGUSTE COMTE
Rational thought is far more
powerful in comparison to faith
and superstition in explaining
different social phenomena.

Since the data of science can be

publicly observed, then we can
be certain about them.
POSITIVISTS
They usually believe that
scientific progress will
eradicate, or at least sharply
reduce, the problems facing
mankind

They are almost always

strong realists. In other words,
they believe in objective truth.
Positivism divides all
statements into three
categories: true, false, and
meaningless (neither true nor
false). A meaningless
statement is one that isn’t
clear enough to be tested MEANINGLE
through positivistic means. SS

The color green sleeps

angrily.
TRUE OR FALSE
If a statement does have a meaning, then it
must be either true or false. But that doesn’t
mean we necessarily know which one it is.

There are exactly 23.8762 billion

domestic cats in the world.
LAW OF THREE STAGES
According to Comte, each of our leading
conceptions-each branch of our knowledge
passes successively through different
theoretical conditions.

METHAPHYSIC
THEOLOGICAL POSITIVE
AL
THEOLOGICAL STAGE (BEFORE
1300)

In theological stage, all natural phenomena and

social events were explained in terms of super
natural forces and deities, which ultimately
explaining everything as the product of God’s will.
EXAMPLES

GEOCENTRIC
ORIGIN OF MAN
RAINING
WHILE
THE SUN IS
SHINING
FETISHISM ‘Fetish’ means inanimate and
‘ism’ means philosophy. This
is a philosophy which believes
that super natural power dwells
in inanimate object.

But too many fetishes created

confusion for people. Hence
they started believing in
several gods.
POLYTHEISM
The belief in many Gods. Human being received
variety or diversity of natural phenomena. Each
phenomenon was kept under the disposal of one
God.
The presence of too
many gods also
created mental
contradictions. Finally
they developed the
idea of one God.
MONOTHEISM
It means belief in one single God. He is all in all. He
controls everything in this world. He is the maker of
human destiny.
METAPHYSICAL (1300 – 1800)
‘Meta’ means beyond and
physical means material
world. Supernatural being is
replaced by supernatural
force. This is in form of
essences, ideas and forms.

Under metaphysical thinking it is believed that an

abstract power or force guides and determines the
events in the world.
POSITIVIST (1800)
The dawn of the 19th Century marked
the beginning of the positive stage in
which observation predominates over
imagination. The concept of God is
totally vanished from human mind.

This stage is dominated by the

entrepreneurs, technologists etc.
The Existence of God: True, False, or
Meaningless?
For many people, the existence of God is a true-or-false
question. Atheists say it’s false whereas theists say it’s
true. But some positivists argue that the existence of God
is neither true nor false – it’s meaningless.
Positivism is an attractive philosophy because it
affirms the value of science and maintains a strong
distinction between “true” and “false”.
For positivists, all statements are
either true, false, or . . .
1. Both true and false

2. Uncertain

3. Meaningless

4. Semi-true
Positivism is based on a strong
confidence in . . .
1. Positive thinking

2. Science

3. Religion

4. All of the above

Positivists tend to be
skeptical of…
1. Science

2. Religion

3. Human goodness

4. None of the above

END