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Known For
Comte is known for his contributions to the (1)rigorous adoption of the scientific method (2)his law of the three states/stages of intellectual development (3)classification of the sciences (4)perception of the incomplete philosophy of each of these sciences anterior to sociology (5)his synthesis of a positivist social philosophy in a unified form.He also sought out a system of philosophy that could form a base for political organization adapted to the modern industrial society that was forming. -
École Polytechnique
Comte entered the École Polytechnique, a school in Paris that used to be a training school for military engineers, but was changed into a school for the advanced sciences. -
Auguste meets Henri de Saint-Simon
Comte meets Henri (one of the founders of socialism) while in Paris. He was hired as Henri's secretary, where he was introduced to politics. Since both of the men's ideas were similar in understanding, but had their unique differences because of their individual backgrounds, they later separated in 1824. -
Early Writings
Comte, influenced by his time with Henri, writes the Early Writings. These articles are still the best introduction today to Comte’s thought process and the understanding of his ideas. -
Auguste gets Married
Auguste marries Caroline Massin, but the split soon after due to unhappiness in the year 1842. -
Auguste's Lectures
Auguste begins a series of lectures on his "system of positive philosophy". Due to a some medical issues, the lectures discontinued until 1828-29 when he began the lectures again. The lectures were concluded in 1829-30 with his final lecture at the Royal Athenaeum. -
Classification of the Sciences
Based upon the hypothesis that sciences had developed from the understanding of simple and abstract principles to complex and concrete phenomena, Comte orders them as follows:mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, and sociology. He explained that this last subject not only concluded the series, but would also reduce social facts to laws & combine the whole of human knowledge, thus rendering the subject able to guide the reconstruction of society. Found in the 'Course'. -
Course on Positive Philosophy
Comte published the 'Course on Positive Philosophy',a book based off of his lectures. Containing explanations of the physical sciences already in existence at the time, it also emphasized the inevitable coming of social science, as well.This book marked the change of science into philosophy for Comte's work. -
Law of Three Stages
Developed by Comte in the 'Course in Positive Philosophy', the law states, that human intellectual development had moved historically from a (1)theological stage:explained in terms of gods and spirits to a (2)metaphysical stage:explained in terms of essences, final causes, & other abstractions and (3)positive stage:the awareness of the limitations of human knowledge, which could only be relative to man’s nature as a species & his varying social/historical experiences. -
Tutor Auguste
Comte returns to École Polytechnique after its reopening to continue their as a tutor and examiner in analysis and mechanics. He later loses his job in 1842 after publishing a 'personal preface' to the 'Course', leading to a quarrel with some of the school directors. -
Elementary Treatise on Analytic Geometry
Auguste publishes the 'Elementary Treatise on Analytic Geometry', the only mathematical work he ever created. -
Philosophical Treatise on Popular Astronomy & Discourse on the Positive Spirit
Auguste publishes the 'Philosophical Treatise on Popular Astronomy'. Also created during this year, 'Discourse on the Positive Spirit'. The Discourse acted as the preface to the Treatise on Astronomy, and marked the change of direction by its emphasis on the moral dimension of new philosophy. -
Auguste's Lover
Auguste expereinces romaince and developes an emotional attachment to Clotilde de Vaux, who tragically dies of tuberculosis the following year. This event influences his later thoughts and ideas in regard to the role of women in the positivist society he planned to establish. -
Religion of Humanity
Auguste founds the Religion of Humanity, an attempt to take out all transcendence and superstitions of religious doctrine while keeping ritual, ceremony, and ethical teaching. It sought to discard the remnants of the two more primitive stages of society, the Religious and Metaphysical stage, while cultivating the values of the Positive stage. Details are later explained in Auguste's later work the 'Catéchisme positive'. -
System of Positive Polity
After Clotilde de Vaux's death, Auguste wrote the 4-volume book 'System of Positive Polity'.The book contains his completed formulation of sociology and emphasizes morality and moral progress as the central preoccupation of human knowledge and effort, and gave an account of the political organization that this required. With this third work, Auguste said that philosophy was transformed into religion. -
The Catechism of Positive Religion
The 'Catechism of Positive Religion', Auguste explains, lays out a type of worship which aims at “regulating the direct cultivation of our sympathetic instincts”. One way of doing that was by commemorating and celebrating the lives of dead heroes, friends, and relatives, & focusing especially on the desirable characters that they possessed. It was also about celebrating the power and progression of scientific thought, as well. -
