Positivism vs Anti-Positivism Flashcards

Positivism

• Positivism emphasizes knowledge from science and empirical observation.
• It rests on three key assumptions: an objective reality exists, sciences will converge, and value judgments have no place in science.

Objective and Knowable Reality

• Positivists believe in an objective reality that can be understood through observation and logic.
• Objective reality, like the existence of a chair, implies that interpretations can be wrong.
• The emphasis is on a knowable universe, with science providing definitive answers, stripping away subjective interpretations.

Convergence of Sciences

• All sciences explore a single reality, suggesting they will become more similar as research progresses.
• This may lead to a unified scientific discipline, blurring current disciplinary boundaries (e.g., biology, chemistry).

Value Neutrality in Science

• Sciences investigate identical realities from different viewpoints, rendering all scientific inquiries equally valuable.
• The ethical implications of scientific research are deemed social rather than scientific; thus, both beneficial and harmful research are considered equally significant.

Anti-Positivism

• Anti-positivism argues that knowledge stems from human subjectivity, challenging the positivist viewpoint.

Limitations of Hard Science

• Anti-positivists contend that social phenomena cannot be fully understood through quantitative data alone.
• Contextual factors, such as individual perceptions of exam scores, showcase the relative importance of statistical measures.

Unique Nature of Sciences

• Anti-positivists stress that different scientific disciplines will not amalgamate and each uniquely contributes to human understanding.
• Emotions, values, and subjective experiences are fundamental for grasping the human condition, indicating a need for diverse research realms.

Interconnection of Science and Values

• Values assess what is considered right, moral, or desirable within a culture.
• The interpretation of scientific endeavors, such as researching harmful technologies versus beneficial medical advancements, is inherently influenced by societal values.

Quantitative vs. Qualitative Sociology

• Quantitative sociology aligns with positivist views, focusing on measurable behaviors and statistics (e.g., divorce rates, crime statistics).
• Qualitative sociology corresponds with anti-positivism, emphasizing emotional and subjective human experiences (e.g., feelings related to divorce or societal perceptions of violence).