ABSTRACT
The first three chapters of this book concern the evolution of positivism as a distinct research orientation in the social sciences. Each chapter details a unique moment in the history of positivism. For this reason, chapters 2 and 3 are cumulative. They expand and build upon the previous chapters. At one level, therefore, the discussion of logical positivism is broader than that of embryonic positivism insofar as it incorporates and embellishes the previous history. At another level, however, the discussion of logical positivism is narrower than that of embryonic positivism. This is because those associated with logical positivism represented a more coherent and cohesive gang of intellectuals than those associated with embryonic positivism. This resulted in the pursuit of a common project with a relatively well-defined focus.
