What Is Positivism?

According to positivism man has only one duty and that is to acquaint himself with scientific knowledge about what exists and use it to his own advantage. This school of thought makes no allowance for demands of propriety and responsibility emanating from a power beyond man's scientific knowledge. It has no place for sin, mercy, conscience, redemption and eternal values and truths. It takes no account of the absolute, religion, morality and any powers beyond our sense-experience. The logical consequence of positivism is that the good is situated in that which promotes individual and common cognition. Auguste Comte (1798-1857) is usually regarded as the initiator of positivism.

Auguste Comte