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Born in Montpellier, France
Comte was born in the aftermath of the French Revolution. In his early life, he exhibited tremendous intellect, and in 1814 he moved to Paris to enter school for advanced sciences: the École Polytechnique. In the wake of the Revolution, and the rise of individuality, Comte sought to answer the question, how "does one reorganize human life, irrespectively of God and king?" -
1825; The Philosophical Considerations on the Sciences and the Scientists
This essay was an early success of Comte. It established the initial formulations of two of Comte's founding principles of positivism; the law of the three stages, and the classification of the sciences.
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1830-42; Cours de Philosophie Positive
In this six-volume work, Comte further expands upon the Law of Three Stages, pertaining to the development of humanity, which are as follows; the theological, the metaphysical, and the positive. He developed the idea of classifying sciences, placing them into six categories: mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, sociology. He claimed they precede each other, mathematics being necessary to astronomy. He believed sociology to be the "final science." -
1845; Clotilde de Vaux
Clotilde de Vaux is not a publication, rather she is a person who is regarded by many historians to have played an important role in inspiring Comte's Religion of Humanity. She is also credited with influencing Comte's view of women to be more positive. He advocated for the necessity of women to take up liberalism to end their oppression. Clotilde de Vaux died of tuberculosis the following year. Comte spent the years following her death drafting Système de politiques. -
1851-54; Système de politiques ou Traite de sociologie: la religion de l'Humanité
The four-volume series completed Comte's formulation of Sociology. Positivist religion had two main functions: a moral and political function. Religion should govern each individual and unite all individuals. He urged people to worship Humanity, based on a principle of love. He aimed to direct all of the sciences, including morality, into a religion that held "a common belief-system and the ritualistic, socializing processes that brought people together around the worship of society." -
1856; Sythèse Subjective
This publication gave further direction to the Religion of Humanity. In the Preface, Comte states it is a work written "directly for the synthetical teachers directing synthetical students in the Positivist schools regularly attached to the temples of Humanity." He details the order in which teaching should proceed in disciplines ranging from art to the abstract encyclopedia. -
Died in Paris, France
Auguste Comte died of cancer at age 59.