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S.Madhankumar
Dept. of Sociology
S.T. Hinducollege,
Nagercoil -2
AUGUST COMTE (1798 – 1857)
Thinkers Background:
August Comte was born in Montpellier of southern France on January 1,1798, in a religious
aristocratic traditional family. Comte was a brilliant student since his school days. At the age of 16 he
joined the “Ecole Polytechnique”, the most famous school in France at that time. At the age of 19- he
came in contact with Henry de saint Simon (1760 – 1825) who was a great socialist thinker, Comte
became his secretary. In course of time Comte became his co-worker, co-writer and co-thinker. The
friendship between the two lasted only for few years that are up to 1824 only. They jointly published
the work “ Plan of the scientific operations necessary for the reorganization of society – 1822. And
thereafter their partnership dissolved. Comte whose life was beset with stresses and strains, conflicts
and controversies, poverty and isolation breathed his last on 17 June 1897.
His Major Works:
1.“Plan of the scientific operation necessary for the reorganization of society” also known as “The
prospectus of scientific works required for the reorganization of society” – 1822.
2.“Positive philosophy” brought out in 6 Volumes between – 1830 – 1842.
3.“Positive Society – 1848.
4.“System of Positive Politics” brought out in 4 Volumes - 1851 and 1854.

SCIENCE OF SOCIOLOGY
Sociology – the scientific study of society originated as a result of the attempt to provide
orderly explanations for the seemingly disordered changes and turmoil's that pervaded the society in
the 19th century. In Europe the ordinary day-to-day human experiences began to change as a result of
French revolution, Urbanization and Industrialization. The older order of things such as feudalism,
kinship and the despotic rules existing put an end to complete changes resulted by means of
industrialization and urbanization. That invariably led to problems in the social and political set- up.
The way of solving them was not known to them. They did not have experience on that line. In the
earlier society they attributed to God, for all good and bad. But that was not sufficient in the changed
world. It became highly necessary to bring out an order from the state of uncertainty and confusion. So
they tried to think of an order without affecting the progress of the nation. During the 19th century
sociology came into practice as an attempt to such order.
Comte understood the system of scientific approach was highly effective for making a progress
in the physical world. But the same principles could better be used for the sliding of social world. Only
Auguste Comte did it during 19th century. Comte thought that the methods used in the understanding of
physical phenomena could better be used in the social phenomena and thus the problems could be
eradicated totally. It would also lead the nation progress. Sociology, the true science of human society,
consists of scientific method called observation, experiment, comparative and historical method. So it
is known as a positive science. Later, Comte divided sociology into two major parts Static and
Dynamics – Comte defined sociology as the science of social order and social progress. Comte
advanced the above- mentioned grounds to put sociology in the category of science. Since Auguste
Comte had identified the subject matter and the scientific methods, which could be used in the new
science sociology, he is considered as the father of sociology.
According to Auguste Comte, there was a direct correlation between the progress of the human
mind and the evolution of human society. Human history is fundamentally the history of the progress
of mind and society. Mind, society, and history converged in the new science. August Comte’s life
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long mission was to establish sociology as the abstract theoretical science of social phenomena. This
science for him was to be the culmination of all sciences. Thus, he explained in “System of Positive
Policy”, we already possess Celestial physics (i.e. astronomy), Terrestrial physics (i.e. Geolo gy and
Geography), Mechanical and Chemical physics (i.e. Engineering and Chemistry) Vegetable Physics
(i.e. Botany) Animal physics (i.e. Zoology) we still need one physical science – Social physics. (i.e.
Sociology) The new social science that August Comte sought is to establish he first called “social
physics”. Later, when he thought that the Belgian social statistician, Adolphe Quetelet, had stolen the
term from him he changed the social physics to sociology. The term sociology is a hybrid term
compounded of the Latin word “socius” which means “companion” or “associate” and the Greek word
“logus” which means study or science. Thus etymological meaning of sociology is the study of society
or the science of society.

LAW OF THREE STAGES

Auguste comte considered his law of three stages based upon belief in social evolution to be the
most important to understand the progress of the human society. In terms, the development of the
society is based on the development of human thinking. The human thinking passes through three
stages viz - (1) Theological stage (2) Metaphysical stage (3) Positive stage. That is why, his theory is
popularly known as “ The Law Of the Three Stages”.
1 Theological Stage:
This stage is also known as fictitious stage Auguste come points out that theological stage was till
1300 A.D. This stage dominated by priest and the military. In this stage the level of human thinking is
only to attribute everything to supernatural force. Man believes in this stage that the cause, origin and
nature of all beings are determined by supernatural force. The theological stage went through the three
phases of Fetishism, Polytheism, and Monotheism.
(a) Fetishism: Fetishism means belief in fetish. Fetish is an animate or inanimate object for which man
has attrib uted supernatural power.
(b) Polytheism: With the gradual development in human thinking there occurred a change in the form
of thinking. At this stage man had classified Gods and each God had some definite function and His
scope and clear of action was determined.
(c) Monotheism: At this level of thinking a belief in one God had replaced the earlier belief in many
Gods. The monotheistic thinking symbolizes the victory of human intellect and reason over non-
intellectual and irrational thinking.
2 Metaphysical Stage:
This stage is also known as the Abstract Stage. Auguste Comte identifies the period between
1300 A.D. and 1800 A.D. as the period for the metaphysical Stage. This stage as dominated by
churchman and lawyers. It is the stage in which the thinking level of human beings presupposes
abstract forces a capable of producing all phenomena. In this stage the level of thinking reaches a
stages of questioning and trying to fin-out the reasons for all phenomena.
3 Positive Stage:
This stage is also known as the scientific stage started from 1800 A.D, in this positive stage,
observation predominated over imagination. Industrial administrators and scientists dominate this
stage. The level of human thinking has given up its childish and vain search for the origin and
destination of the universe and its causes but seek to establish scientific principles governing
phenomena. The human thinking has evolved to a stage of explaining every phenomenon in a scientific
manner.
LEVEL OF THINKING AND SOCIETY (Stages in Social Organization and Progress)
August Comte brings out three stages of society or social organization corresponding to the
three stages of mental progress.
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Comte declared that theological thinking leads to a military and monarchical organization. Here
the God would be there as the head of the hierarchy as king of kings and a mighty warrior. The human
beings would be arranged in a military organization. Dogmatism would prevail here and its challengers
would be punished or threatened of severs punishments.
Under metaphysical stage of human thinking, societies were guided by some abstract
principles. The political system also undergoes change and the power of kings become restricted. The
constitutional democratic system of government gets priority. Thus under metaphysical stage some
power passes in to the hands of people.
In the positive stage the social and political laws are determined in a definite and well-defined
form. In these societies industry and technology predominates. The natural resources are harnessed for
human good. The superstitions are mistrusted. Reason is demanded in every matter and the fear of
divine wrath no longer prevail
Comte describes the law of three stages as the law of human progress, because the law covers
not only the development of human thinking and advancement of knowledge but also the development
of individual societies and humanity.

Comte not only identified three stages in the development of human thinking but also observed
three stages in the development of society and social organization. Each of these modes of thinking –
Theological, Metaphysical and Positive –determines and corresponds to a type of social organization.
Which is clear from the following.
Three stages Theological stage Metaphysical stage Positive stage
Nature of society Military Society Legal Society Industrial Society
Unit of Society Family Nation Entire Society
Basic Principle or Love of Family or MutualCo-existance Universality or
Type of order Domestic order or Collective order Universal order
Prevailing Affection or Mutual respect or Kindness or
sentiment Attachment veneration Benevolence

Comte made it abundantly clear that the intellectual evolution is the most important aspect in human
progress.

POSITIVISM
August Comte’s approach to the study of sociology or the social progress of the human society
is called “positivism” or the positivistic approach. In other words the methodology that propounded by
Comte to study the human society is known as “positivism”. Comte emphasized that sociology must
use the positive method to study the society. Positivism was Comte’s term for his method of studying
society. This method was modeled largely on the techniques of natural sciences. According to August
Comte, positivism means that it is scientific science which should not be confused with the mere
collection of facts, deals with the connection between similar phenomena or the co-ordination of facts,
Comte insisted that sociology should be positive, i.e., scientific in methods of analysis and prognosis.
Sociology must use the positive method, implying two points (1) sub-ordination of concepts to
facts and (2) the acceptance of the idea that social phenomena are subject to general laws -social
laws.
From this first point Comte reveals that facts must be given primary importance. It should
not try to fit conclusion to facts but draw conclusion from the facts.
From this second point Comte reveals that social phenomena have to be systematically
analyzed to form general laws, which is necessary to form a theoretical science of society. These social
laws are necessarily less rigid than biological laws.
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In Comte’s view the positive knowledge about the human society can be gained by the four
procedures or Methods – Observation, Experimentation, Comparison and Historical Method.
1.Observation: Observation is the use of physical sense. Comte says that this can be
effectively used if the investigator is guided by theory. Unless he guided by theory, one will not be
able to choose what is to be observed.
2.Experimentation: Experimentation is only partly applicable in the social sciences. Direct
experiment is not feasible in the study of society. In sociology Experimentation is done under
controlled observation.
3. Comparison: Comte stress importance of comparison because he believes that accuracy can
be got through comparison and it is a crucial method in sociology. Comte said that the fruitful
comparison could be carried out (1) between human and animal societies, (2) between co-existing
societies, and (3) between social classes in the same society.
The first type of comparison enables us to understand the emergence of social relationship as
well as borderlines of social relationships of human and animal society.
The second type of comparison helps us to note the impact of cultural variation, technology
development, geography etc., in various phenomena.
The third type of comparison helps us to differentiate the various stages of development in the
same society.
4. Historical Method: Comte says that Historical method different from historians method in
that the former is interested in the inferences from historical facts where as the latter is interested only
in chronological arrangements of facts. Comte further says that society is nothing if it is not informed
by a sense of historical evolution. His main concern in sociology was to analyze and understand the
history of society through general laws. Comte uses these general laws to study the society and the
knowledge of the human progress.
Thus Auguste Comte deeply thought over the superiority of the application of scientific or
positive approach to the study of social phenomena. He also pointed out these conventional methods of
science – Observation, Experimentation, and Comparison – must be used in combination with the
Historical method.

HIERARCHY OF SCIENCES or CLASIFICATION OF SCIENCES

Auguste Comte’s another important theory is the ‘Hierarchy of Sciences’. This theory is
intimately connected with the law of three stages. Just as man kind progresses only through
determined stages as explained by comte in the Law Of Three Stages”, the scientific knowledge also
passes through similar stages of development. But different sciences progress in different rates. Some
fields of knowledge reach the positive (Scientific) stage early, while other lag behind them. Thus they
differ in the degree of development. Comte states in his positive philosophy, “Any kind of knowledge
reaches the positive stage early in proportion to its generality, simplicity, and independent of other
departments or sciences.
On the basis of the notion, Comte attempts to a classification of sciences. He arranges various
sciences in a hierarchal order and ranks them. At the bottom of hierarchical order, he places the
science, which has earlier reached the positive stage of development and at the top of hierarchy; the
sciences, which are latter, reach the positive stage.
Theoretical principles of classification:
Comte gives his principles of classification on the basis of the order increasing dependency and
the order of increasing complexity. This principle has special feature. In fact, the fact pertaining to
different sciences differ in complexity. Some facts are simple while others are complex. Complex facts
depend upon simple facts and are general and present everywhere. It is on the basis that comte
classified various branches of knowledge. The science that is based upon complex facts is called
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complex science. The complex sciences are depending upon simple sciences. In order to study a
complex science it is necessary to study a simple science.
On the basis Comte has presented a serial order of sciences. In this serial order the
simplest science is placed on the lowest tier (Comte placed Mathematics on the lowest wrung)
followed upward by more complex scienc e placed at the top (Comte placed sociology on the highest
wrung). These points can be understood by the following figure.
SOCIOLOGY

BIOLOGY
CHEMESTRY
PHYSICS
ASTRONONY
MATHEMATICS

In the hierarchy of science he begins with Mathematics. According to Comte mathematics

develop first and the simplest of all sciences and is concrete in nature. It is an independent science
forming the basic for the development of other science. Comte further stated that mathematics is the
most powerful instrument, which the mind may use in the investigation of natural laws. So it holds the
first place in the hierarchy of science.
All natural phenomena can be divided into inorganic and organic. The inorganic again fall
into two i.e. astronomical science and Terrestrial science (earth sciences). Astronomical science an
inorganic science developed just after mathematics, depending on mathematics to a large extent. The
compound use of mathematics and the law of gravitation make the law of astronomy. The other
sciences are more complex than astronomy and more depend on it. So astronomy is placed next to
mathematics.
Besides Astronomical sciences, there are other sciences called Terrestrial (earth sciences). The
earth science includes two fields. They are physics and chemistry. Physics deals with matter and
energy. Chemistry deals with composition of matter. Physics is more general than chemistry; it deals
with matter than elements. The laws of weight, heat and so on condition chemical action. Thus physics
is placed next to astronomy and chemistry is placed next to physics in the hierarchy of science.
Like inorganic phenomena, organic phenomena include two kinds: (1) Individual and (2)
Group.
The science that studies the individual is biology. It studies the structure and movements of
individual units of life in the plant and animal worlds. The study of individual units of life requires
knowledge of forces governing them. So biology has depended upon other science. It depends upon
chemistry because chemistry provides knowledge about nutrition or secretion. It depended to physics,
because physics provides knowledge concerning the weight, temperature and related facts about the
living organisms. As all forms of individual life are affected by astronomical factors, biology needs the
help of mathematics. Thus, biology, the science of organic phenomena is dependent on all the
preceding sciences in the hierarchy.
Lastly comes sociology. As the group is more complex, than the individual, the study of group
requires the knowledge of all other sciences. So, sociology depends upon all other sciences preceding
it in the hierarchy. It rest upon biological, chemical, physical, and astronomical knowledge and used
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mathematics as its tool in its inquiries. Comte argues that no sciences can be effectively studied
without sufficient knowledge of sciences on which it depends.
Conclusion:
It is noted here that comte has included only certain sciences and not all. The sciences
like history, psychology, economics, politics and ethics are left out. Comte considers only those
sciences based on reasoning and observation as true sciences. In that category, in his view,
mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology and sociology fall and so they find place of
hierarchy. In the view of comte, history is not a true science. The reason may be that it not based on
reasoning, but on memory as for psychology, comte considers it a part of general physiology, that is
biology- in fact, he calls psychology, cerebral physiology. As biology has already found place in the
scheme of hierarchy, he thinks, psychology need not be included. Regarding economics, politics and
ethics, comet’s view is that they are aspects of sociology.

SOCIAL STATICS AND SOCIAL DYNAMICS or DIVISION OF SOCIOLOGY

According to comte sociology is a vide discipline. In order to make an orderly study of
the subject comte divided sociology into two divisions. These divisions were known as ‘social
statics’ and ‘social dynamics’.
Comte has taken this idea of divisions of sociology (Static and dyna mics) from Biology. In
Biology have two divisions. Namely – “Anatomy” and “Physiology”. Anatomy concerned with the
parts of organism. Where as physiology concerned with the function of organism. Just as in biology it
is useful to separate anatomy and physiology, so it is desirable to make distinction in sociology
between “Statics” and “Dynamics”. This distinction is not between two classes of facts, but between
two aspects (phenomena of principle) of theory. It corresponds with the ‘order’ and ‘progress’. ‘Order’
and ‘progress, in other words the ‘statics’ and ‘dynamics’ are hence always correlative to each other.
Statics involves the study of existence of society (structure of society) Dynamics requires the
movement (change and development) of the society. The main fact (feature) of statics is order. The
main fact of dynamics is progress. Statics is a theory of order and dynamics is the theory of progress.
The order and progress are closely interrelated because unless the order is perfect, evolution (progress)
never takes place and no durable progress is possible if it is not consolidate in order. Therefore we
should study by integrating the law of statics and dynamics.
STATICS:
According to Comte, the laws of nature establish the order in society. The natural laws may
take different direction, which may be for the good or bad of the society, however the human beings
can to certain extent change the directions of these natural laws. This process Comte refers and social
laws. Thus the natural laws can be converted into social laws, which form major part of social statics.
The social laws are established in all the society for the harmonious functioning. These laws bring a
consensus in the society by the necessary correlation between the various elements of it. In all the
system where order is necessary there is consensus.
Universal consensus, which is the main characteristic feature of social statics, is the basis of
solidarity and division of labour. Without consensus, the division of labour will not occur. The division
of labour, which is seen in all society, is fundamental for the growth and evolution of society. When
the division of labour grows, there is a need of increasing solidarity and cooperation. Comte thus said
in statics one should look not only order and consensus but also one should make a careful study of
solidarity and co-operation. It is in this context that Comte coined word altruism. The basis of the
social order according to Comte is altruism.
Comte distinguished three levels in society. These are the individual, the family and the social
combinations. He said that statics is the study of all these levels independently as well as the
relationship between them. Comte says that individual and society are not two separate entities; they
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are dependent upon each other. For Comte individual has no existence by himself and therefore he can
be seen only in groups. For this the man use family and for Comte family has become fundamental unit
of statics. He said one can understand statics if one studies family in a historical manner.
DYNAMICS
Social dynamics is the change occurring in the society. Comte said dynamics is the history
without names of men or people. The task of social dynamics is to unravel (solve) the story of human
civilization without destructing solidarity. To make it clear one can say that social dynamics is the
study of history continuously without any break or in other words one can say that social dynamics is
not interested in isolated phenomena. Social dynamics start with developme nt in terms of its positive
and negative sides. According to Comte the evolution always take the direction of positive
development. But Comte says that positive development may not take a strait line. There will be
oscillations in time and progress. For Comte social evolution starts from the plant kingdom pass
through animal kingdom and continues in the human society. Unlike the evolution of plant and animal
kingdom, the evolution in the human society will be having constant conflict between natural and
social laws.
Comte considers social dynamics is an important part than social statics. For the progress
society dynamism is more important than stability and order. Comte considers progress is an essential
element of society.
Social dynamics is a science, which tries to discover the laws and principles underlying social
change and progress. It also tries to find out the conditions necessary to maintain the continuity of
social progress. In order to study the history of social change and progress we have to study the rules
and principles of social change in a historical perspective. The history reveals to us the ways in which
social changes have taken place. By historical study of problems of social change we can generalize
certain laws and principles, which are basic to all social change. On the basis of generalization we can
make projection about future.
Progress is visible in all society and it can be seen in physical, moral, intellectual and political
sides. Among this Comte emphasized the intellectual development. He says the intellectual
development is the basis for all the other progress and development. Therefore for Comte the major are
of development is emerging from intellectual side. Later he applied the law of three stages in social
dynamics to see the progress of society.
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order increasing dependency

Order of increasing complexity.
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