Positivism vs. Postpositivism — What's the Difference?

Emphasis on empirical observations.

Acknowledgment of observational flaws.

Philosophy of science approach.

Embraces both deductive and inductive reasoning.

Knowledge from observable facts.

Context-sensitive knowledge acquisition.

Pursuit of objective knowledge.

Critical view of empirical data.

Positivism is a philosophical theory that holds that all genuine knowledge is either positive—a posteriori and exclusively derived from experience of natural phenomena and their properties and relations—or true by definition, that is, analytic and tautological. Thus, information derived from sensory experience, as interpreted through reason and logic, forms the exclusive source of all certain knowledge.Verified data (positive facts) received from the senses are known as empirical evidence; thus positivism is based on empiricism.Sociological positivism holds that society, like the physical world, operates according to general laws.

Recognition of non-universal truths.

A doctrine contending that sense perceptions are the only admissible basis of human knowledge and precise thought.

Postpositivism or postempiricism is a metatheoretical stance that critiques and amends positivism and has impacted theories and practices across philosophy, social sciences, and various models of scientific inquiry. While positivists emphasize independence between the researcher and the researched person (or object), postpositivists argue that theories, hypotheses, background knowledge and values of the researcher can influence what is observed.

The application of this doctrine in logic, epistemology, and ethics.

(philosophy) A metatheoretical stance that critiques and amends positivism. While positivists believe that the researcher and the researched person are independent of each other, postpositivists accept that theories, background, knowledge and values of the researcher can influence what is observed. They believe that human knowledge is based not on unchallengeable, rock-solid foundations, but rather upon human conjectures.

The system of Auguste Comte designed to supersede theology and metaphysics and depending on a hierarchy of the sciences, beginning with mathematics and culminating in sociology.

Any of several doctrines or viewpoints, often similar to Comte's, that stress attention to actual practice over consideration of what is ideal

The state or quality of being positive.

(philosophy) A doctrine that states that the only authentic knowledge is scientific knowledge, and that such knowledge can only come from positive affirmation of theories through strict scientific method, refusing every form of metaphysics.

(legal) A school of thought in jurisprudence in which the law is seen as separated from moral values; i.e. the law is posited by lawmakers (humans).

A system of philosophy originated by M. Auguste Comte, which deals only with positives. It excludes from philosophy everything but the natural phenomena or properties of knowable things, together with their invariable relations of coexistence and succession, as occurring in time and space. Such relations are denominated laws, which are to be discovered by observation, experiment, and comparison. This philosophy holds all inquiry into causes, both efficient and final, to be useless and unprofitable.

The form of empiricism that bases all knowledge on perceptual experience (not on intuition or revelation)

A quality or state characterized by certainty or acceptance or affirmation

Belief in measurable truths.

Not outright, but positivism highly values quantifiable, empirical data, which often aligns more with quantitative research.

No, postpositivism builds upon positivism, critiquing and expanding its perspectives.

While some fields value positivism, many modern researchers lean towards postpositivism for its flexibility.

While both aim for objectivity, positivism asserts stronger objectivity, while postpositivism acknowledges potential biases.

Some hard sciences lean towards positivism, while social sciences might lean more towards postpositivism.

Yes, a researcher can blend elements from both, although they present contrasting philosophical views.

Neither is universally better; the choice depends on the research question, method, and philosophical alignment of the researcher.

Postpositivism emerged as a response to the perceived limitations and rigidities of positivism.

Not always, but clarifying one's stance can lend transparency and coherence to research.

Positivism might see them as errors, while postpositivism might consider them as intrinsic complexities of reality.

Yes, postpositivist thinking, with its critical and nuanced approach, can influence various disciplines.

Positivism seeks to uncover objective and universal truths through empirical observation.

Postpositivism believes reality is complex, often multi-layered, and not always directly observable.

Yes, postpositivism emerged as a subsequent critique and expansion of positivist views.

Not necessarily, but it seeks definitive, empirically-backed conclusions.