positivism in sociology was the first direction, which has developed in the XIX century.Its essence lies in the formation of a new system of knowledge about the society through the application of methods and laws of science.
Originally positivism in sociology contrasted with speculative speculative theorizing.It arose as a result of non-simple arguments about society, as well as the desire of creating a social theory that in all respects consistent with scientific theory.
positivist sociology main goal of the discipline is considered to analytically and empirically, based on the facts, to explore the phenomena occurring in society.Only in this case it could claim to be "positive", meaning the ability to successfully and positively to solve various problems in the life of society.
founder of positivist sociology is Comte.According to the French social scientist, social theory was to be "exact natural science", which is based on scientific methods.
Comte believed that knowledge of a society should be strict, based on reliable and valid evidence, as knowledge about nature.In the Comte "Spirit of positive philosophy," he wrote about the meaning of the term "positive".This concept meant a real contrast between the ephemeral, the useful - worthless, reliable - doubtful precise - vaguely positive - negative.
laws of the functioning of society considered positivism as a continuation of the natural laws.Therefore, it was considered impossible insight into the causes and social processes and phenomena.
representatives of positivism learned society in the dynamics and statics, because it was about a society as a system which is in equilibrium and stability.
positivism in sociology determined that knowledge of society must meet the requirements of reality and science, so it must be produced with the help of natural methods.The main methods considered in this observation, comparison, experiment, historical and mathematical methods.
positivism in sociology is most clearly manifested in their tracks (often referred to as features of positivism), such as naturalism, evolutionism, organicism.In addition to these trends are mechanistic positivism, Social Darwinism, racial-anthropological direction, geographical determinism and others.All Fields positivism differed general principle of reductionism.Its meaning is to try to explain the phenomena of social life from the perspective of a single factor, which determines the (biological, racial, geographic, etc.).These currents are called "schools of a single factor."
most fully revealed the ideas of positivism in his capacity as the direction neo sociology .This case was for the main sociological and philosophical direction of the XX century., Which relies on the established principles of logical positivism.Each branch has a unique doctrine of neo peculiar only to him especially in the field of applied methods.
neo tended to consider social phenomena, based on the general laws for nature, and for the social reality.This manifested itself in the school of naturalism.Scientism mainly focuses on the use of social research methods of the natural sciences.Objectivism declared its freedom from value judgments.Operationalism defines social concepts like operational.Behaviorism investigated by subjective factors through behavior.Quantification sought to describe social phenomena in a quantitative characteristic.
