Positivism

Positivism can have several meanings.

Philosophy

Logical positivism was a school of philosophy developed in the 1920s by the Vienna Circle. Logical positivists are skeptical of theological and metaphysical propositions and exclude them from logical reasoning. The logical truth of a proposition must be ultimately grounded in its accordance with the (physical) material world. All arguments should be based on the rules of logical inference applied to propositions grounded in observable facts. Hence they support realism, materialism, philosophical naturalism, and empiricism, and favor the scientific method.

Related Topics:
Logical positivism - Philosophy - 1920 - Vienna Circle - Theological - Metaphysical - Realism - Materialism - Philosophical naturalism - Empiricism - Scientific method

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Examples of logical positivists include Moritz Schlick, Rudolf Carnap, Otto Neurath, and A.J. Ayer, and their views are closely related to those of Karl Popper. The logical positivists were very much influenced by and were great admirers of the early Ludwig Wittgenstein (from the period of the Tractatus). However, Wittgenstein himself was not a logical positivist, although he was on friendly terms with many members of the Vienna Circle.

Related Topics:
Moritz Schlick - Rudolf Carnap - Otto Neurath - A.J. Ayer - Karl Popper - Ludwig Wittgenstein - Tractatus - Vienna Circle

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~