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Birth
Comte was born in Montpellier, France.
The French Revolutionary War started just several months before Comte's birth in May 1798. France political structure was changing from a Regime in favour of a constitutional monarch. -
Political Socialist
Comte a philosopher at the time is attracted to the ideology of Henri de Saint-Simon (image), a French socialist theorist. Henri makes Comte his secretary. Comte is now initiated into politics and publishes numerous amounts of articles. Comte collaborates with Henri to write the L'industrie. His articles bring him into the view of the public eye. -
First System of Positive Polity
At 24 years old, Comte publishes the First System of Positive Polity that defines the bond between science and politics. At this time Comte considers his philosophy "positivism" but not towards a philosophy of science but towards political philosophy. The goal was to reorganize society from the crippling sociology caused by the French Revolution. In 1829, the publication contributes to John Stuart Mill's, a contributor to western philosophy, chief theoretical ideas (Britannica, 2020). -
Leaving Saint-Simon
As influential Saint-Simon was to Comte, he [Saint-Simon] offered very little to Comte. Comte found Saint-Simon's authority over baring and found Saint Simon to be intolerable. Comte believed Saint Simon's was set in the old ways and offered little change and considered his [Saint-Simon] concept borrowed. Breaking off ties with Saint-Simon helps with the publication of the Philosophical Considerations on the Sciences and Scientist (1825). -
Early Ideas of Positivism
Comte releases the Philosophical Considerations on the Sciences and Scientist which describes the formulation and cornerstone of positivism. The publication introduces the law of the three stages and classification of sciences. A few months later, Comte's release on Spiritual Power presents "dogmatism as the normal state of the human mind (Bourdeau, 2017). -
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The Course of Postive Philosophy
Comte publishes six volumes of the Course. This publication looks at the relationship between social evolution and the stages of science. Comte explains that man's intellectual development goes through three stages, theological, metaphysical, and positivism. During this time period, Comte comes up with the classification of science-based on "increasing complexity and decreasing generality of application in ascending order" (Bourdeau, 2017). -
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Contribution to Math and Science
Comte provided philosophical interpretations into the field of mathematics and science. Adapted Lagrange's mathematics to the needs of empirical science and establishing the basic orientation of 19th-century positivist physics. During this time period Comte publishes Elementary Treatise on Analytic Geometry (1843), Philosophical Treatise on Popular Astronomy (1844), and Discourse of the Positive Spirit (1844). -
Hierarchy of Science
Comte releases the Hierarchy of Science which is connected to the Three Stages in his work The Course of Philosophy. In the Hierarchy of Science, Comte states, like man, science goes through stages of development (Bourdeau, 2017). He places the sciences in an ascending order (see diagram) based on generality, simplicity, and independence of other departments. -
Discourse on the Positve Spirit
This publication became the preface for Philosophical Treatise on Popular Astronomy and reverts back to the law of the three states but as an introduction in the course of astronomy. Comet's goal was political in nature by taking the scientific tradition and new sociology and make a new ethic. "The new ethics will be organized by a new ‘spiritual power of educators'..." (Gane, 2017). -
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Systeme de Politique Positive
At this period of time, Comte believes the French society has broken down due to the French Revolution. His goal is to replace the theological knowledge of this time period with a new religion that can bring society together. The religion would be considered a positive religion that concentrates on the happiness and humanity of the people versus traditional religion that focuses on God and his worship. -
Death
Comte dies and is buried in the Pere-Lachaise cemetery in Paris, France where the Brazilians erect a statue of Humanity. Prior to his death, Comte fails to publish such works as Treatise of Universal Education (1858), System of Positive Industry or the Treatise on the Total Action of Humanity on the Planet (1861), and Treatise of First Philosophy (1867) (Bourdeau, 2018).
