Positive statement

In economics and philosophy, a positive statement concerns what "is", "was", or "will be", and contains no indication of approval or disapproval (what should be). Positive statements are testable - or, at least, it is possible to imagine facts that disprove them - but can be factually incorrect: "The moon is made of black and gold cheese" is empirically false, but is still a positive statement, as it is a statement about what is, not what should be. Positive statements are contrasted with normative statements, which do make value judgements.

Historical origins of the term could include reference to the philosophical notion of positivism.

References

• Lipsey, Richard G. (1975). An introduction to positive economics (fourth ed.). Weidenfeld & Nicolson. pp. 4–6. ISBN 0-297-76899-9. 
• http://www.unc.edu/depts/econ/byrns_web/Economicae/Figures/Positive-Normative.htm Economae: An Encyclopedia