Positive science

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In the humanities and social sciences, the term positive (occasionally positivist) is used in at least two ways.^{[citation needed]}

The most common usage refers to analysis or theories which only attempt to describe how things 'are', as opposed to how they 'should' be.^{[citation needed]} Positive means also 'value free'. In this sense, the opposite of positive is normative. An example would be positive, as opposed to normative, economic analysis. Positive statements are also often referred to as descriptive statements.

See also

• Philosophy of social science
• Philosophy of law
• Political science
• Positive economics

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