In the
social sciences
Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of so ...
and
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. ...
, a positive or descriptive statement concerns what "is", "was", or "will be", excluding statements of what is (in the absolute or true sense), was or will be moral. Positive statements are thus the opposite of
normative statements. Positive statements are based on empirical evidence. For examples, "An increase in taxation will result in less consumption" and "A fall in supply of petrol will lead to an increase in its price". However, positive statements can be factually incorrect: "The moon is made of green cheese" is empirically false, but is still a positive statement, as it is a statement about what is, not what should be.
Positive statements and normative statements
Positive statements are distinct from normative statements. Positive statements are based on empirical evidence, can be tested, and involve no value judgements. Positive statements refer to what is and contain no indication of approval or disapproval. When values or opinions come into the analysis, then it is in the realm of normative economics. A normative statement expresses a judgment about whether a situation is desirable or undesirable, which can carry value judgements. These refer to what ought to be.
Use of positive statement
Positive statements are widely used to describe something measurable, like the rate of inflation in an economy. They are mainly used in explanations of theories and concepts. Using a positive statement does not mean you can't have your own opinions on issues. However, when you are writing academic essays it's important to use positive statements to support an argument, since they can be verified by evidence.
See also
*
Falsifiability
Falsifiability is a standard of evaluation of scientific theories and hypotheses that was introduced by the philosopher of science Karl Popper in his book '' The Logic of Scientific Discovery'' (1934). He proposed it as the cornerstone of a s ...
*
Positivism
Positivism is an empiricist philosophical theory that holds that all genuine knowledge is either true by definition or positive—meaning ''a posteriori'' facts derived by reason and logic from sensory experience.John J. Macionis, Linda M. G ...
*
Normative statement In many disciplines, including economics and philosophy, a normative statement expresses a value judgment about the desirability of a situation. Whereas a descriptive statement (also known as a positive statement) is meant to describe the world '' ...
References
*
* https://web.archive.org/web/20070626195348/http://www.unc.edu/depts/econ/byrns_web/Economicae/Figures/Positive-Normative.htm Economae: An Encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Positive Statement
Statements
Philosophy of social science