Giddens Critic of Positivism

Q 2:-what is positivism gidden’s critic of positivism?

Ans:-POSITIVISM:-positivism in philosophy generally, any system that confies itself to the data of experience and exclude a priori or metaphisysical speculations . more narrowly, the term designates the though of the French philosopher Augusta comte. As a philosopher ideology and movement, positivism first assumed its distinctive features in the work of comte, who also named and systematized the science of sociology. It then developed though several stages known by various names, such as empiriocriticism, logical positivism, and logical empiricism, and finally, in the mid 20th century, flowed into the already existing tradition known as analytic philosophy (also called linguistic philosophy).

The basic affirmation positivism are:-

(1) that all knowledge regarding matters fact is based on the ‘ positive’ data of experience, and

(2) that beyond the realm of fact is that of pure logic and pure mathematics, which were already recognized by the 18th century Scottish empiricist and sceptic david home as concerned with the ‘ relations of ideas’ and in a later of positivism, were classified as purely formal sciences. On the negative and critical side, positivists became noted for their repodration of metaphysics- ie of speculation regarding the nature of reality that radically goes beyondand possible evidence that would either support or refute such ‘ transcendent’ knowledge claims. In its basic idelogical posture, positive is thus wordly, secular antitheological, and antimetaphysical. Strict adherence to the testimony of observation and experience is the all important imperative of the positivists. The imperative is reflected also in their contributions to ethics and moral philosophy, and most positivists have been utilitarian to the extent that something like ‘ the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people’ was their ethical maxim. It is notable, in this connection, that...