First positivism. Auguste Comte, John Stuart Mill, Herbert Spencer. Philosophy should contribute to the progress of specific scientific disciplines
Positivism is one of the most influential trends in Western philosophy over the past two centuries. Positivism has gone through three main stages in its development. The first stage is associated with the teachings of Comte, Mill, and Spencer. The second stage is the empiriocriticism of Mach and Avenarius. The third is the logical positivism of the Vienna Circle (or the neopositivism of Schlick, Carnap, and others). Supporters of positivism are united by the conviction that it is impossible to construct a “true” metaphysics. From the point of view of positivism, statements about the substantial essence of things cannot be scientific. Rejecting ontology as an untenable pseudoscience, the positivists did not propose the abolition of philosophy as such. They believed that genuine (“positive”) philosophy should contribute to the progress of concrete scientific disciplines.