Structural Positivism: The Epistemic Priority of Measurement

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Authors: Lucas Gage
Cited by: 0

Abstract

Structural Positivism (SP) is a methodological framework emerging from the procedural requirements of the PIE sequence, specifically the Terminal Reliability requirement (P5). This paper argues that SP provides the practical methodology for determining what kind of epistemic content satisfies P5’s convergence demands: measurable structural ratios stripped of subjective interpretation. By combining the empiricist commitments of logical positivism with the structural focus of structural realism while avoiding both traditions’ fatal flaws, SP offers a philosophically justified account of scientific methodology. The framework demonstrates that epistemic objectivity is achieved not through metaphysical correspondence claims but through procedural convergence on structural measurements. This paper develops SP’s theoretical foundations, clarifies its relationship to the Gageian Epistemic Model (GEM) and Infostructural Monism (ISM), demonstrates applications across science, ethics, and everyday reasoning, and responds to anticipated objections regarding scope and completeness.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Philosophy and History of Science Philosophy and Theoretical Science Epistemology Ethics and Metaphysics

Publication details

Journal / source
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Publication date
4 January 2026
Language
EN
Document type
Preprint