Influence of Positivism on Social Science: A Literature Review

Abstract

The influence of positivism on social science, is increasing. For more than half a century, there has been a continuous philosophical debate on which philosophical perspective is the right one for social science. This paper examines two contradicting philosophical perspectives of positivism and interpretivism and how they fit into social science. Thus, the research question here is how positivism and interpretivism fit into social science.

The paper discusses the influence of positivism on social sciences, and the most cited contributors in literature, that play an important role in the existing philosophical debate. The paper suggests that interpretivism is more suitable for social science.

Keywords: Positivism, Interpretivism, Social Science, Philosophical Debate

DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/11-23-02

Publication date: December 31^st 2021