What is positivism? Discuss Giddens’s critique of positivism

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Positivism is an empiricist philosophical theory that holds that all genuine knowledge is either true by definition or positive—meaning a posteriori facts derived by reason and logic from sensory experience. Other ways of knowing, such as theology, metaphysics, intuition, or introspection, are rejected or considered meaningless.

Although the positivist approach has been a recurrent theme in the history of western thought, modern positivism was first articulated in the early 19th century by Auguste Comte. His school of sociological positivism holds that society, like the physical world, operates according to general laws. After Comte, positivist schools arose in logic, psychology, economics, historiography, and other fields of thought. Generally, positivists attempted to introduce scientific methods to their respective fields. Since the turn of the 20th century, positivism has declined under criticism from antipositivists and critical theorists, among others, for its alleged scientism, reductionism, overgeneralizations, and methodological limitations.

Positivism is a philosophical theory stating that positive knowledge is based on natural phenomena and their properties and relations. Thus, information derived from sensory experience, interpreted through reason and logic, forms the exclusive source of all authoritative knowledge. Positivism holds that valid knowledge (certitude or truth) is found only in this derived knowledge.

Gidden's objection to positivist theory focuses on the reliance on scientific empiricism in studying human society. Gidden's proposed that positivism and its proponents overlooked the subject and object in a given situation embedded in the social framework. In addition, the spiritual aspect of human life seemed to fall by the wayside in a positivist framework. 

He rejected Durkheim's sociological positivism paradigm which attempted to predict how societies operate, ignoring the meanings as understood by individuals. Giddens noted: "Society only has form, and that form only has effects on people, insofar as structure is produced and reproduced in what people do."

Giddens contrasted Durkheim with Weber's approach—interpretative sociology—focused on understanding agency and motives of individuals. Giddens is closer to _____ __ _____________ ___ ______ ________.
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Degree : MASTER DEGREE PROGRAMMES
Course Name : Master of Arts in Public Administration
Course Code : MPA
Subject Name : Research Methods and Methodologies
Subject Code : MSO 2
Year : 2022 2023