Thursday, May 07, 2009

Positivism

POSITIVISM, n. A philosophy that denies our knowledge of the Real and affirms our ignorance of the Apparent. Its longest exponent is Comte, its broadest Mill and its thickest Spencer.

2009 Update: The theory that knowledge can only be gained through direct sensual experience, as of a theory.

13 comments:

pia said...

Positivism: a religion that originated in New York next door to Ethical Culture designed to allow all people who followed Norman Vincent Peale to a point but...a forum and a church. The direct sensual experience was the reward for sitting through numerous sermons

Nessa said...

I'm positive some people never learn no matter how much experience they get, especially when sensuality is involved.

Tom & Icy said...

What about all those voices in my head?

Jamie Dawn said...

Positivism: perceived chipperness

:-)

:-)

:-)

Ariel the Thief said...

Positivism, the trust that whatever comes I'll be able to handle it or die, and one is as good as the other.

the amoeba said...

Surely everyone knows that, in order to complete a circuit, you need a positivist and a negativist. This is how we get the energy to go 'round in circles.

quilly said...

I think Amoeba has just explained why our relationship works. Together we strike a balance between my fairy wings and his sackcloth.

TLP said...

When I see signs that say things like, "positively no smoking," I wonder if it's okay to smoke with a negative attitude.

I wonder if it’s possible to negatively smoke?

sauerkraut said...

positivism - why fishermen stand next to love canal or the book never finished by Ayn Rand.

Cooper said...

Post Positivism must be hell for the Dawg.

So I guess writing one undeniable upbeat post in my blog a day is not positivism.....

shoot

Ariel the Thief said...

Doug, I'm just realizing, your definition is not about positivism but liberal materialism. You need either more sleep or less.

(magativ - lesz maga juszt is az enyém!)

Doug The Una said...

Sweet relief too, I bet, Pia.

Nessa, pity the learners.

Icy, if you can hear them, they're real, I suppose. Now back to chopping.

Jamie Dawn, anyone who's ever sat across from you knows just what you mean by that.

Ariel, that's looking at the bright side, in a Hungarian way.

Very good amoeba. Or bad.

That sounds nicely balanced, Quilly.

Ironic, isn't it, TLP. Negatively smokeless would be more accurate.

Actonbell, that's a good question, although Moses would be an example of a theist positivist, Pharoah, more so.

Positively abstract, Sauerkraut.

It depends, Cooper, do you actually witness the crimes?

Pretty sure not less, Ariel. I wonder how much sleep I'd need to learn Magyarúl.

weirsdo said...

Great Bierce def.
The biggest negative of positivism is its disregard of phenomenology.