Positivist philosophy imposes an empirical a priori that cannot be transcended

Evidence

In barring access to this realm, positivist philosophy sets up a self-sufficient world of its own, closed and well protected against the ingression of disturbing external factors. In this respect, it makes little difference whether the validating context is that of mathematics, of logical propositions, or of custom and usage. In one way or another, all possibly meaningful predicates are prejudged. The prejudging judgment might be as broad as the spoken English language, or the dictionary, or some other code or convention. Once accepted, it constitutes an empirical a priori which cannot be transcended. — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 671

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the ‘empirical a priori’ — the closed validating context that pre-judges all meaningful predicates.
• XREF: connects to: Behaviorist accounts of persons fail by omitting their transcendence-transcended principle; Critical theory that identifies reason with domination cannot justify its own critique — Alex Callinicos, Against Postmodernism: A Marxist…, 380; The blitheness of thought is censured as disorder by positivistic work discipline (+17 more)

Broader Connections

• Denying metaphysics in favor of science is itself a metaphysical position #expands (0.85) — Wael Hallaq, Restating Orientalism, 294
• The law of value is more evident to experience than positivistic science admits #contradicts (0.75) — Dirk Braunstein, Adorno’s Critique of Political Economy, 932
• Open-mindedness is impossible because thought requires preexisting categories #qualifies (0.72)