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Positivism is the general principle that things of importance must be stated ('posited') rather than discovered. Positivism became particularly prominent in Britain in the 19th century driven, perhaps, by a growing scepticism about spiritual and supernatural matters. Positivism concerned itself with things that could be measured, sensed, and stated with precision, rather than things that could only ever be the province of speculation. In law, positivism was most obviously manifested in the Legal positivism of Bentham and Austin.