Critical theory is always a critique of authority. Positivism is morally indifferent. Science cannot help people to secure the ends of action, that is, to tell them how to live. Comte, Durkheim, and Spencer were wrong to assume that it could. The rise of positivism in the West has done a great deal to undermine and destroy the traditions by which people used to live.
Modern society leads to highly specialized, differentiated, and fragmented lives.
We have lost the sense of community that once characterized us. We have lost our ties to the past. We now work to get things rather than for the dignity of work itself. Critical theory encourages a reflection on the meaning of work, life, etc. Positivism encourages control over the various parts of our lives, does not worry about human interests, or why people do what they do.