William Dalrymple (historian)

Positivism is a philosophy which states that the only authentic knowledge is scientific knowledge. Positivism was central to the foundation of academic sociology.

Positivism may also refer to:

• Logical positivism, a school of philosophy that combines empiricism with a version of rationalism
• Sociological positivism, a sociological paradigm
• Legal positivism, a school of thought in jurisprudence and the philosophy of law
• Positivist school (criminology), attempts to find scientific objectivity for the measurement and quantification of criminal behavior
• Positivism in Poland, a socio-cultural movement in Poland after the 1863 January Uprising

• Postpositivism, a metatheoretical stance that critiques and amends positivism
• Postpositivism (international relations), a school of thought in international relations theory