Auguste Comte

In Comte (18) the philosophy of history attains a social dimension and an explanation of the human fact. His law of the three stages (theological, metaphysical, and positive) echoes Vico’s notion. Comte is not particularly concerned with clarifying the nature of those “stages,” but once proposed they seem particularly useful for understanding the march of humanity and its direction—that is, the meaning of history: “On peut assurer aujourd’hui que la doctrine que aura suffisamment expliqué l’ansemble du passé obtiendra inévitablement, par suite de cette seule épreuve, la présidence mentale de l’avenir.” (19) It is clear that history will serve as a tool for action within the schema of the practical destiny of knowledge, with the “voir pour prévoir.”

In: Historiological Discussions, Silo

Chapter 2: The Past Seen as Without Temporal Foundation, 2.1 Conceptions of History

For Comte, history could still be comprehended on a human scale. His law of the three stages applied as much to humanity as to individuals in their development.

In: Historiological Discussions, Silo

Chapter 2: The Past Seen as Without Temporal Foundation 2.2 History as Form

But time and again philosophy has had to abandon its attempts to develop such an explanation—for example, in the case of its endeavor to be a positive science, as in Comte; a science of logic, as in Hegel; a critique of language, as in Wittgenstein; or a science of propositional calculus, as in Russell.

In: Historiological Discussions, Silo

Chapter 3: History and Temporality, 3.1 Temporality and Process

Auguste Comte (1798 - 1857)

모르겠습니다, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Philosopher and sociologist, founder of positivism.

Biographical information

1798 Birth on 19 January in Montpellier, France.
1814 Begins his studies at the École Polytechnique, where he focuses on mathematics and natural sciences.
1822 Publication of his first work ‘Plan de travaux scientifiques nécessaires pour réorganiser la société’.
1830 Publication of the first volume of his major work ‘Cours de positive philosophy, in which he presents the fundamentals of positivism.
1844 The ‘Société de sociologie’ is founded, which is considered to be the first society for sociology.
1851 Publication of the last volume of the ‘Cours de philosophie positive’.
1857 The ‘Religion of Humanity’ is founded, in which Comte formulates his ideas about a new social order and morality.
1857 Death on 5 September in Paris, France.

He entered the École Polytechnique in 1814 and was expelled from the school along with his entire class during the Bourbon Restoration due to his political ideas. His keen interest in teaching runs like a red thread through his career. He was a private maths teacher, a revision tutor and examiner at the Ecole Polytechnique, and a tutor at a centre for students preparing for science competitions. His teaching talent was also evident in the free public astronomy and, later, history classes that he gave to blue-collar workers for over 25 years.

Topics

Positivism: Comte stands for the attempt to structure human knowledge on a scientific basis while incorporating ethical and social values, with the aim of improving the human condition through progress and rationality. Positivism is characterised by a scientific and empirical approach to knowledge. Comte developed this doctrine in a context shaped by the ideas of the Enlightenment and sought to create a solid foundation for the social and natural sciences.

The three-stage law:

Comte suggests that the development of human thought goes through three stages:

Theological state: in which phenomena are explained by divine causes.
Metaphysical state: in which explanations are based on abstractions and principles.
Positive state: in which knowledge is based on observation and experience, and focuses on the ‘how’ rather than the ‘why’ of phenomena.

Positivism is not limited to a scientific method, but also includes a moral dimension. Comte proposed a ‘positive morality’ focused on altruism and service to humanity. He envisioned a ‘religion of humanity’ to replace theological beliefs and promote a community based on scientific and ethical values.

Positive science = a school of thought that favours observation, experimentation and analysis of hard facts to understand the world = Empirical (relying on concrete, measurable data that allows for conclusions based on observable facts). Positive science focuses more on structure and classification, while empirical science focuses on experimentation and confirmation of hypotheses.

Sociology of Comte also introduced a hierarchy of sciences, ranging from mathematics to sociology, with each discipline building on the discoveries of the previous one. He coined the term ‘sociology’ to denote the science of society, which is considered the most complex and important science.

Major works

‘Reflections on the Sciences and the Scholars’ (Considérations sur les sciences et les savants, 1825) and ‘Reflections on Spiritual Power’ (Considérations sur le pouvoir spirituel, 1826)

These early essays helped establish Comte's reputation and laid the foundations for his thinking. They reflect the development of Comte's thinking, from his initial reflections on the reorganisation of society to the full elaboration of his positivist philosophy and his vision of a new social and spiritual organisation. However, The Positive Philosophy remains his most influential work, and is widely recognised in academic and scientific circles.

‘Plan of the scientific works necessary for a reform of society’ (Plan des travaux scientifiques nécessaires pour réorganiser la société, 1822)

This is one of Comte's first major works, in which he lays out the foundations of his positivist philosophy and his plan for a scientifically based social reorganisation.

‘Positive Philosophy’ (Cours de philosophie positive, 1830-1842)

This monumental six-volume work is considered the foundation of positivism. In it, Comte develops his classification of the sciences and his law of three phases, which form the principles of his philosophy.

‘Discourse on the Spirit of Positivism’ (Discours sur l'esprit positif, 1844)

This work presents an easily accessible summary of Comte's positivist philosophy.

‘System of Positive Politics’ (Système de politique positive, 1851-1854)

In this late work, Comte outlines his vision of a society reorganised according to positivist principles, including his idea of the ‘Religion of Humanity’.

‘Positivist Catechism’ (Catéchisme positiviste, 1852)

In this book, Comte's ideas are presented in dialogue form to make his philosophy accessible to a wider audience.

Influence

Although Positivism suffered from internal tensions after Comte's death, it profoundly influenced many fields, including sociology, medicine and political philosophy. Its empirical approach paved the way for later movements such as logical empiricism/neo-positivism (R. Carnap and others).

Why is he mentioned by Silo in ‘Historiological Discussions’?

Comte is mentioned in Chapter 2, ‘The Past – Seen Without a Temporal Basis’, because he viewed time as an infinite continuum without a beginning or an end. This is in contrast to human reality, which is characterised by individual, temporally limited experiences. The term ‘history without temporality’ encourages us to question Comte's idea of a linear conception of history and suggests that a more differentiated approach that takes into account human mortality and lived experiences could enrich our understanding of history.

For Comte, history is a tool for understanding and anticipating the future. He sees the analysis of past events as a way of shedding light on present and future decisions.

While Silo criticises some aspects of Comte's thinking, particularly his conception of time and his occasionally overly abstract approach to history, he acknowledges the importance of Comte's contribution to the understanding of historical and social processes, especially his attempt to create a scientific basis for the study of history and society.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse