Positivism is a current of philosophical, sociological and political thought that emerged in the mid-19th century in France. The main idea of positivism was that the scientific knowledge should be recognized as the only true knowledge.
The main creator of the positivist movement was the French thinker Auguste Comte (1798-1857), gaining international prominence between the mid-19th century and early 20th century.
According to positivism, superstitions, religions and other theological and metaphysical teachings should be ignored, as they do not contribute to the development of humanity.
According to Comte's principles, the first ideas of what would become Positivism emerged as an offshoot of Enlightenment.
This occurred from the social crises that exploded in Europe at the end of the Middle Ages and with the emergence of the so-called "industrial society", marked by the French Revolution.
The term "positive" first appeared in the work "Appeal to Conservatives", written by Conte in 1855. It describes the
Three States Law, that is, the stages that humanity has gone through (and goes through) in relation to its conceptions and valuations of life.- Theological: is the explanation of natural phenomena from supernatural beliefs. It seeks to find the "meaning of life", when human imagination and creativity overlap rationality.
- Metaphysical or Abstract: it is a middle ground between the "theological" state and "positivism", because man continues to search for the same answers of the questions asked in the theological phase, however, supernatural beliefs are replaced by forces abstracts.
- Positive: this step is not concerned with the reasons or purposes of things, but how they happen; the process.
Read more about Metaphysics and Theology.
See also the meaning of the Brazilian Flag Day.
For Comte, sciences based on analysis and observation should be considered positivist. Examples are: mathematics, physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology and sociology (which had been newly created and was studied using statistical data).
know more about Enlightenment and Sociology.
Characteristics of Positivism
Positivism believes that a theory can only be taken as true if it is proven using valid scientific techniques.
Another characteristic of positivist thinking is the idea of cumulative science, that is, that it is transcultural, it reaches all of humanity, no matter in which culture it arose or developed.
The idea of positivist thinking was centered on seven terms and meanings, according to Comte:
- Real
- Useful
- Right
- Necessary
- Relative
- Organic
- Kind
Positivism in Brazil
A lot of people don't know, but the text that appears in the center of the Brazilian flag - "Order and Progress" - was based on positivist ideals.
In his original sentence, Comte said: "love as a principle, order as a basis, progress as a goal." From this thought, came the famous expression that is stamped in the center of the Brazilian flag.
See more information about Brazil's flag and learn more about the meaning of Order and Progress.
legal positivism
O legal positivism is different from Philosophical Positivism, proposed by Comte.
In the legal field, positivism is seen as a right imposed by the will of the human being, that is, a postulated right, a positive right. The right is exercised objectively, being based on real and scientific facts.
Legal Positivism eliminates any hypothesis of divine involvement in human actions, as well as nature, or reason, as defended by Natural Jus.
Learn more about the meaning of jusnaturalism.