Understanding Humans: Positivism & Hermeneutics

8 important questions on Understanding Humans: Positivism & Hermeneutics

What are the three stages of man?

1. Theological stage; all phenomena are produced by the immediate action of supernatural beings.
2. Metaphysical stage; supernatural entities --> essences, forces, powers.
3. Positive stage; searches for causal or mechanical explanations through careful observation.

What is the danger of the metaphysical stage?

Circle reasoning.

What is the hierarchy of increasing complexity?

Mathematics - astronomy - physics - chemistry - biology - sociology.
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What are the substages of the theological stage?

- Animism; objects have human-like qualities.
- Polytheism; nature under control of many deities.
- Monotheism; trace everything back in notions of a single god.

What does the hierarchy of increasing complexity tell us?

Order in which various sciences reach positive stage.

What is the problem with implementing the same methodology for social sciences and natural sciences according to Dilthey?

Positivists truncate historical reality in order to assimilate it to the concepts and methods of natural sciences --> cannot ban purpose and meaning from study of man, we need to take his identity into account.

How can we experience and understand the human world?

We must be part of it instead of step out the world.
Verstehen instead of Erklären.

What makes good science according to Comte?

Combination of observation & theorizing.

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