Auguste Comte 01/19/1798-09/05/1857

By tbrixey

  • Auguste Comte was born on January 19, 1798

    Comte was born in Montpellier, France

  • The Law of Three Stages

    Comte believed that his law of three stages showed people become more rational and scientific as they give up speculations, and imaginative things. According to Comte knowledge has passed through the stages in succession beginning with the theological or fictitious (prior to 1300), then the metaphysical or abstract (1300 AD-1800), and lastly the scientific or positive (1800.) The positivism stage is the scientific way of thinking, and it is knowledge based on facts gathered by experience.

  • Hierarchy of Science

    Along with Comte's stages of science Comte also outlined what he termed the hierarchy of science. He believed that different sciences progressed at different rates he said "Any kind of knowledge reaches the positive early stage in proportion to it's generality, simplicity, and independence of other departments. He ranks the sciences in the following order from most complex and specific to least complex and general.
    1. Sociology
    2. Biology
    3. Chemistry
    4. Physics
    5. Astronomy
    6. Mathematics

  • Comte, Auguste, Course of the Positive Philosophy

  • Comte, Auguste, Introduction to Positive Philosophy

  • The Father of Sociology

    Although Comte originally studied to be an engineer he later became a pupil of social philosopher Claude Henri de Rouvroy Comte de Saint-Simon. They found the commonality in their beliefs that scientists could study society utilizing the same methods that had been used in natural sciences. Compte also believed that using these methods they could find the ways in which societies and individuals interact.

  • Comte completes his six volume work "Course on Positive Philosophy"

    In Comte's work, the "Course on Positive Philosophy" he provided an organization to the sciences existing at that point in time, he also outlines the foundations of sociology. In his writings Comte elaborated on what he called positive philosophy, or positivism. Comte believed that scientific observation and theorizing provides the structure of the ultimate science based stage.

  • Comte, Auguste, General View of Positivism

  • Comte, Auguste, System of Positive Polity

  • Comte, Auguste, The Philosophy of Mathematics

  • Comte, Auguste, Positive Philosophy of Auguste Comte Vol. 1

  • Comte, Auguste, Appeal to Conservatives

  • Comte, Auguste, Social Physics

  • Comte Death

    Throughout his life Comte attempted to unify history, psychology, and economics by understanding society using a scientific approach. He spent his life striving to better society.

  • Comte, Auguste, The Catechism of Positive Religion

    Not published until after Comte's death