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    ShreeGaneshaaya Namah

    Positivism

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    What is positivism ?

    Any event is an instance of well-supported

    regularity.

    An event can be scientifically explainedand presented as a form of logical

    argument.

    Two most prevalent models of explanation

    are deductive and inductive.

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    Deductive model enables us to predict an

    event which has not yet occurred.

    Inductive model enables us to explain anevent by showing that it belongs to an

    established generalised theory/ notion.

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    Either one can confirm established

    theories through field realities, or falsify

    them. Majority of positivists believe that it is apt

    to falsify rather than confirm theories.

    Leading falsificationist Karl Popper.

    Hypothetico-Deductive Method

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    The Hypothetico-Deductive Method

    of Karl Popper Formulate a theory

    Make hypothesis

    Test the hypothesis by making potentiallyfalsifying observations

    If theory is falsified, it must be abandoned,

    else accepted.

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    Positivists believe that there is no logic of

    discovery by which we can arrive at

    theories through observations. Without grand theories, observation in the

    field is not meaningful.

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    Theory and observation are distinct.

    Observation feeds into theory through

    correspondence rules.

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    Positivism operates on the logic of

    science.

    In that sense positivism is naturalism. Society as per the positivists rules,

    operates as per the laws of nature.

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    Social Theory According to

    Positivism Foundations laid by August Comte (1798

    - 1857)

    Positivism as a method of scientificinvestigation and a stage in the

    development of the human mind

    theological, metaphysical and positivist.

    There are logical structures and methods

    with which to explain society.

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    Social laws social statics and dynamics

    Social statics reveal the manner in which

    social facts co-exist at any given time. Social dynamics reveal how events

    succeed one another in time.

    Statics will explain social order, dynamicswill explain human progress.

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    Durkheim (1858 1917) There are

    discoverable social laws comparable to

    those governing the rest of nature.

    Social facts are also facts of nature.

    Main contribution elaborate analysis on

    social facts.

    Concepts of social facts to be formed

    objectively

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    Scientific observation and definition asnecessary for explaining socialphenomena

    Causal explanations and comparativemethod.

    Weber causal generalisations

    discovery of causes with empiricalmethods.

    Cause and effect relations in society recur.

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    Logic of causal explanations of social facts is

    identical with the logic of causal explanations of

    natural events.

    Value-fact dichotomy - Things and socialphenomena do not have values in themselves.

    Values are attributed to them by persons

    studying those facts/ phenomena.

    All notions that cannot be derived from sensory

    experience are scientifically not relevant.

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    Analytical realism

    Existence of an external knowable social

    world, congruent with the order of humanlogic.

    Reduction of complexity through

    unification of knowledge.

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    Positivism is about codification

    generalisations derived from unconnected

    investigations into different areas are

    explained by some common factor that

    codifies them.

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    Karl Popper as an important proponent of

    positivism

    Knowledge is rational and objective It needs to be and should be formulated in

    certain kind of statements open to public

    scrutiny and discussion.

    To study society cannot resort to

    induction and verifiability

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    Rather we need deduction and falsifiability

    Universal theories should be starting

    points Facts and phenomena can then verify or

    falsify them.

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    Main Points of Positivism

    Subject (observer)-object (social

    phenomena/ facts) dualism

    Minimum differences between physicaland social facts.

    Generalisations as key to understand

    society

    Clear distinction between scientific

    knowledge and common sense.

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    Critique of Positivism

    Social reality is too vast to study all its

    aspects. Hence the value base of the

    investigator/ intervener will come into this

    process. Further individualities are equally

    important.

    Understanding values and cultures are

    important.

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    Subjective experience as also important to

    understand society and social reality.

    In studying society, differences accordingto contexts are also important.