'Positivism' definitions:
Definition of 'positivism'
From: WordNet
noun
The form of empiricism that bases all knowledge on perceptual experience (not on intuition or revelation) [syn: positivism, logical positivism]
noun
A quality or state characterized by certainty or acceptance or affirmation and dogmatic assertiveness [syn: positivity, positiveness, positivism] [ant: negativeness, negativism, negativity]
Definition of 'Positivism'
From: GCIDE
- Positivism \Pos"i*tiv*ism\, n. 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. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'positivism'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- animalism,
- atomism,
- behaviorism,
- bigotry,
- commonsense realism,
- dialectical materialism,
- dogmaticalness,
- dogmatism,
- down-to-earthness,
- earthiness,
- earthliness,
- empiricism,
- epiphenomenalism,
- freedom from illusion,
- hardheadedness,
- historical materialism,
- hylomorphism,
- hylotheism,
- hylozoism,
- infallibilism,
- lack of feelings,
- Marxism,
- materialism,
- matter-of-factness,
- mechanism,
- natural realism,
- naturalism,
- new realism,
- opinionatedness,
- peremptoriness,
- physicalism,
- physicism,
- positive philosophy,
- positiveness,
- practical-mindedness,
- practicality,
- practicalness,
- pragmaticism,
- pragmatism,
- rationality,
- realism,
- reasonableness,
- representative realism,
- saneness,
- scientism,
- secularism,
- self-opinionatedness,
- sensibleness,
- sober-mindedness,
- substantialism,
- temporality,
- unidealism,
- unromanticalness,
- unsentimentality,
- worldliness