Excerpt:
I want to look at some of the problems with the positivist half of the positivism - hermeneutics dichotomy and show that it is becoming less important in human inquiry. The problem is the inherent assumption that positivism gives a good account of the natural sciences. There is plenty of evidence that this is not the case. I also want to look at some of the ideas regarding the relationship of knowledge to power. Finally I will address what I think are the 'most potent foes' of the advancement of knowledge.
To begin with it is difficult to get an idea of what positivism is. Lincoln and Guba (1985, pp.19-28) cover the subject comprehensively, summarizing the work of a number of writers. In their summary they say that the positivist approach advocates deterministic and reductionist solutions. Let's take a quick look at these aspects of positivism in the contemporary natural sciences