Abstract

This paper combines the following elements: (1) A review and evaluation of the principal places in Einstein's philosophical statements which suggest that he does (or does not) advocate a positivistic epistemology of science. (2) A review and evaluation of the principal arguments suggesting that Einstein's version of the special theory of relativity leads (or does not lead) to a positivistic epistemology of science. It is argued that (1) a sharp distinction between scientific concepts and their relations to sensory evidence is required by Einstein's statements, and by the special theory itself; (2) that distinction, as employed in this context, entails a nonpositivistic epistemology; and (3) that distinction provides the key to an understanding of Einstein's apparently positivistic statements