2013/07/01 by Travis A. Whetsell, Patricia M. Shields · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Business, Management and Accounting · #Political Science Research and Education #Management and Organizational Studies #Public Policy and Administration Research
paper · doi:10.1177/0095399713490157
openalex publication_date 2013/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
This article explores the development of three features of positivism from the 1800s to the present: the unity of science, the verification criterion of meaning, and the empiricist observation language. The development of these features is demonstrated in the mid-20th century public administration (PA) literature and in the self-reflective literature of the last three decades. Contemporary positivism has been substantially moderated: The verification criterion of meaning has been abandoned, but the unity of science remains a presupposition, and the empiricist observation language remains an important tool. By presenting this intellectual history, some clarity may be added to the philosophical discourse in PA.