Leszek Kolakowski on the culture of logical empiricism [logical positivism] and the cultural context of philosophy.
In one respect, however, the positivist program has a value that can hardly
be questioned. Although the expectation that it can serve as an effective antidote
to social dangers stemming from the most various ideological conflicts seems
utopian, we are today in a better position than ever before, thanks to more
exact definitions of the scientific attitude and the scientific admissibility
of assertions, to counteract the ideological misuse of science. In other words,
ability to give a relatively good definition of the boundaries of scientific
validity—an ability developed largely thanks to the positivists—is
of great importance when we must criticize the claims of doctrinaires who invoke
the authority of science in support of their slogans. The most glaring example
is the attempts that have been made to justify racism on the basis of anthropology.
The possibility of demonstrating the hopelessness of such undertakings is not
without importance, although it is clear that it cannot decisively influence
the outcome of social conflicts. The sheer rigor of the positivist rules has
awakened intellectuals to their own responsibilities, and in my opinion have
been of practical aid in counteracting attempts to blur the boundaries between
the position of the scientist and the obligations of the believer. Precisely
because they add up to a kind of scientific ethics, these rules have never lost
their timeliness.