In economics

Economics

Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...

 and philosophy

Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...

, 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 statement

Normative statement

In economics, a normative statement expresses a value judgement about whether a situation is subjectively desirable or undesirable. "The world would be a better place if the moon were made of green cheese" is a normative statement because it expresses a judgement about what ought to be...

s, which do make value judgements.

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

Positivism

Positivism is a a view of scientific methods and a philosophical approach, theory, or system based on the view that, in the social as well as natural sciences, sensory experiences and their logical and mathematical treatment are together the exclusive source of all worthwhile information....

.