Auguste Comte

AA-2201 SOCIAL THOUGHT

‘What are the major contributions of Auguste Comte to social thought?’

Fatimah Az-Zahra Haji Tassim

11B1061

Founder of Sociology and Positivism, Auguste Comte’s theories and ideals of society has greatly influenced other thinkers (Giddens, 2001, p 9). The study of science was at its peak during his time, thus, his study of society is mostly correlated with science – or even trying to make Sociology as a part of science. Comte adopted a stage-by-stage change towards society in his theories to explain the social changes on the French society at that time. Sociology was in short, human association in society (Bogardus, 1922, p 210) and the pursuit of studying society in terms of empirical data, just as searching answers for natural causes of weather change or human bodies in science. In this essay, we will discuss more on Auguste Comte’s theories, which contributed upon the creation of Sociology and the groundwork that Comte had laid upon.

Born in 1798, the period of Comte’s life was during the 100 years of turmoil in France (Bogardus, 1922, p 210). The society in France experienced crisis and change especially after the 1789 Revolution followed by Napoleon’s reign. Because of this, Comte developed theories to explain the society he was experiencing. Also, during the crisis, industrialisation and science rose to prominence. He developed the subject, the science of sociology (previously called social physics) to be used to understand the changes and finding the solutions. Comte published Plan of scientific studies necessary for the reorganization of society where he developed a theory of social evolution – the stage by stage of society’s progress towards an ideal society. He called this progress as ‘The Law of Three Stages’.

‘The Law of Three Stages’ was 1) the theological-military stage, 2) the metaphysical- judicial stage and 3) the scientific-industrial or positivistic stage. In the...