See also:

• POSITIVISM (derived from ponere, whence positus, that which is laid down, certain)

POSITIVISM (derived from ponere, whence positus, that which is laid down, certain)  , a philosophical See also:

• TERM

term, applied some-what loosely to any See also:

• SYSTEM

system which confines itself to the data of experience and declines to recognize a priori or metaphysical speculations . In this sense the term may be applied to empirical philosophers in See also:

• GENERAL
• GENERAL (Lat. generalis, of or relating to a genus, kind or class)

general . Thus See also:

• HUME, ALEXANDER (c. 1557-1609)
• HUME, DAVID (1711-1776)
• HUME, JOSEPH (1777-1855)

Hume is a positivist in the sense that he specifically restricts See also:

• PHILOSOPHY (Gr. gthos, fond of, and vo4 (a, wisdom)

philosophy to the See also:

• SPHERE (Gr. vclsa?pa, a ball or globe)

sphere of observation, and regards the causal relation as being nothing more than what we have been accustomed to expect . Similarly See also:

• MILL
• MILL (O. Eng. mylen, later myln, or miln, adapted from the late Lat. molina, cf. Fr. moulin, from Lat. mola, a mill, molere, to grind; from the same root, mol, is derived " meal;" the word appears in other Teutonic languages, cf. Du. molen, Ger. muhle)
• MILL, JAMES (1773-1836)
• MILL, JOHN (c. 1645–1707)
• MILL, JOHN STUART (1806-1873)

Mill, See also:

• SPENCER
• SPENCER, HERBERT (1820-1903)
• SPENCER, JOHN CHARLES SPENCER, 3RD EARL (1782-1845)
• SPENCER, JOHNPOYNTZ SPENCER
• SPENCER, WILLIAM ROBERT (1769-1834)

Spencer and See also:

• PHYSICAL

physical scientists generally view the universe from the positivist standpoint . In its commonest acceptation, however, See also:

• POSITIVISM (derived from ponere, whence positus, that which is laid down, certain)

positivism is both narrower and wider than this . The term is specifically used of the philosophy of Auguste See also:

• COMTE, AUGUSTE [ISIDORE AUGUSTE MARIE FRANCOIS XAVIER] (1798-1857)

Comte, who applied the term to his system according to which knowledge is based exclusively on the methods and discoveries of the physical or " See also:

• POSITIVE (or PORTABLE) ORGAN

positive " sciences . According to Comte human thought passes through three stages—theological, metaphysical and positive . The final See also:

• STAGE (Fr. 6/age; from Lat. stare, to stand)

stage, positivism, is the understanding of the universe not as composed of a multitude of individuals each with volition, but as an ordered organism governed by necessary See also:

• LAWS

laws (see further COMTE) . The outcome of this positivism is the substitution for revealed See also:

• RELIGION
• RELIGION, FOLKLORE, CUSTOM

religion of a religion of humanity—according to See also:

• HUXLEY, THOMAS HENRY (1825–1895)

Huxley " Catholicism minus See also:

• CHRISTIANITY

Christianity "—in which See also:

• GOD

God is replaced by Humanity . This religion was to have its See also:

• SPECIAL

special priesthood, See also:

• RITUAL (from Lat. ritus, a custom, especially a religious rite or custom)

ritual and organization . Positivism has, therefore, two distinct sides, the philosophical and the religious or mystical . Philosophical positivism has had distinguished representatives in See also:

• FRANCE
• FRANCE, ANATOLE (1844– )

France, See also:

• GERMANY
• GERMANY (Ger. Deutschland)

Germany and See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England, and in the wider sense indicated above may be regarded as one of the two or three See also:

• CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief influences on See also:

• MODERN

modern philosophical development .

Though the details of Comte's philosophic structure, e.g. the See also:

• CLASSIFICATION (Lat. classis, a class, probably from the root cal-, cla-, as in Gr. icaMce, clamor)

classification of the sciences, are without important significance, the positivistic tendency is prominent in all systems of thought which deny the supernatural and the metaphysical . See also:

• AGNOSTICISM

Agnosticism, Phenomenal-ism, See also:

• RATIONALISM (from Lat. rationalis, pertaining to reason, ratio)

Rationalism, 1VIaterialism all See also:

• MANIFEST (Lat. manifestus, clear, open to view)

manifest the positivist spirit, denying what may be succinctly described as the metempirical . In France the Comtian tradition was maintained with important reservations and the See also:

• ABANDONMENT (Fr. abandonnement, from abandonner, to abandon, relinquish; abandonner was originally equivalent to mettred banddn, to leave to the jurisdiction, i.e. of another, bandon being from Low Latin bandum, bannum, order, decree, " ban ")

abandonment of the religious aspect by See also:

• LITTRE, MAXIMILIEN PAUL SMILE (1801-1881)

Littre (q.v.), See also:

• TAINE, HIPPOLYTE ADOLPHE (1828-1893)

Taine and others . In Germany many of the followers of See also:

• KANT, IMMANUEL (1724-1804)

Kant have in greater or less degree maintained the view that all true knowledge depends upon the observation of See also:

• OBJECTIVE, or OBJECT GLASS

objective phenomena . The distinctly religious aspect has been comparatively unimportant, except in so far as modern social evolutionist See also:

• ETHICS
• ETHICS, SHAFTESBURY, HOBBES

ethics may be regarded as religious in See also:

• CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character . In England, however, a number of prominent Positivists have carried out Comte's See also:

• ORIGINAL

original ideal of a See also:

• CHURCH
• CHURCH (according to most authorities derived from the Gr. Kvpcaxov [&wµa], " the Lord's [house]," and common to many Teutonic, Slavonic and other languages under various forms—Scottish kirk, Ger. Kirche, Swed. kirka, Dan. kirke, Russ. tserkov, Buig. cerk
• CHURCH, FREDERICK EDWIN (1826-1900)
• CHURCH, GEORGE EARL (1835–1910)
• CHURCH, RICHARD WILLIAM (1815–189o)
• CHURCH, SIR RICHARD (1784–1873)

Church of Humanity with ritual and organization . The chief See also:

• BUILDING

building (in See also:

• CHAPEL

Chapel See also:

• STREET
• STREET, GEORGE EDMUND (1824-1881)

Street, See also:

• LAMB (a word common to Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Lamm)
• LAMB, CHARLES (1775–1834)

Lamb's Conduit Street, See also:

• LONDON

London) is adorned with busts of the See also:

• SAINTS, BATTLE OF THE

saints of humanity, and See also:

• REGULAR

regular services are held . Positivist See also:

• HYMNS

hymns are sung and addresses delivered . Among the leaders of this See also:

• MOVEMENT

movement have been See also:

• FREDERIC, HAROLD (1856-1898)

Frederic See also:

• HARRISON
• HARRISON, BENJAMIN
• HARRISON, FREDERIC (1831— )
• HARRISON, JOHN (1693—1776)
• HARRISON, THOMAS (16o6-166o)
• HARRISON, THOMAS ALEXANDER (1853– )
• HARRISON, WILLIAM (1534–1593)
• HARRISON, WILLIAM HENRY (1773–1841)

Harrison, See also:

• RICHARD
• RICHARD (d. 1184)
• RICHARD, FRANCOIS MARIE BENJAMIN (18,9-1908)
• RICHARD, HENRY (1812-1888)
• RICHARD, ST

Richard See also:

• CONGREVE, RICHARD (1818-1899)
• CONGREVE, SIR WILLIAM
• CONGREVE, WILLIAM (167o-1729)

Congreve, E . S . See also:

• BEESLY, EDWARD SPENCER (1831– )

Beesly and J . H .

See also:

• BRIDGES
• BRIDGES, ROBERT (1844– )

Bridges (d . 1906) . Services are also held weekly in See also:

• ESSEX
• ESSEX, ARTHUR CAPEL
• ESSEX, EARLS OF
• ESSEX, KINGDOM OF
• ESSEX, ROBERT DEVEREUX
• ESSEX, ROBERT DEVEREUX, 2ND2 EARL OF (1566-1601)
• ESSEX, WALTER DEVEREUX, IST2 EARL OF (1541–1576)

Essex See also:

• HALL
• HALL (generally known as SCHWABISCH-HALL, tc distinguish it from the small town of Hall in Tirol and Bad-Hall, a health resort in Upper Austria)
• HALL (O.E. heall, a common Teutonic word, cf. Ger. Halle)
• HALL, BASIL (1788-1844)
• HALL, CARL CHRISTIAN (1812–1888)
• HALL, CHARLES FRANCIS (1821-1871)
• HALL, CHRISTOPHER NEWMAN (1816—19oz)
• HALL, EDWARD (c. 1498-1547)
• HALL, FITZEDWARD (1825-1901)
• HALL, ISAAC HOLLISTER (1837-1896)
• HALL, JAMES (1793–1868)
• HALL, JAMES (1811–1898)
• HALL, JOSEPH (1574-1656)
• HALL, MARSHALL (1790-1857)
• HALL, ROBERT (1764-1831)
• HALL, SAMUEL CARTER (5800-5889)
• HALL, SIR JAMES (1761-1832)
• HALL, WILLIAM EDWARD (1835-1894)

Hall, London, and there are a few other centres in the provinces, including a prosperous church in See also:

• LIVERPOOL
• LIVERPOOL, EARLS
• LIVERPOOL, EARLS OF

Liverpool .