ABSTRACT
The positivist approach has strong connections with statistical analysis. As outlined in the writings of its originators, such as August Comte in the 1830s positivism was to be a form of social mechanics or social physics. For Comte, positivism denoted not just a methodology, but a whole new and progressive frame of reference to relate to the world; a framework which would bring progressive government and serve as the foundation for a modern social order. We have already noted how Comte gave a narrative history of the world in three stages, but we may ask: Is this positivism actually a radical advance over the assumptions of the classical school?
