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Auguste Comte and Early Positivism

Auguste Comte and Early Positivism. Chapter 4. August Comte (1798-1857). Intellectual Background of Positivism: Efforts in the rehabilitation of social order after the French Revolution 1789. There are two mainstreams: 1. Return to traditional society (political romanticists)

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Auguste Comte and Early Positivism

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  1. Auguste Comte and Early Positivism Chapter 4

  2. August Comte (1798-1857)

  3. Intellectual Background of Positivism: • Efforts in the rehabilitation of social order after the French Revolution 1789. There are two mainstreams: • 1. Return to traditional society (political romanticists) • 2. New values of modernity and dream of future of the scientific industrial society (positivists) French After the Revolution

  4. Epistemologicaldoctrine that true knowledge is only about fact. • Nature and scope of knowledge • The fact or the factual is an object that can be observed with our senses. • Term ‘positive’ doesn’t mean good or useful • It means ‘the factual’. What is ‘Positivism”?

  5. Comte: Social Environment • Social Upheaval • Political Instability • Democratic • Oligarchy of middle-class elites • Dictatorship of Napoleon (1799-1814) • Return to Bourbon monarchy • Economic problems • Religious turmoil

  6. Religion & Politics • Parents were Roman Catholics • Power of Church decreasing • Role in education • Land confiscated Comte: Social Environment

  7. 1) Create order • Spiritual order • Social & political problems • Diagnose & Cure like diseases • Society’s basic unit=Family Comte: Goals for Sociology

  8. 2) Discover natural laws 3) Replace Catholic Church as source of: • Truth • Understanding • Order Comte: Goals for Sociology

  9. Saint-Simon • Comte’s mentor • Both had theory with 3 stages Comte: Intellectual Roots

  10. Benjamin Franklin • “Secular code” of morality • Based on scientific understanding of human nature Comte: Intellectual Roots

  11. To make human life more rational • 1849, published 13 month calendar • Positivist Calendar • 13 months of 28 days each Comte’s Calendar

  12. 1 extra day at end of year • Had no weekdays • 1 extra day on leap years • Year begins on Monday, Moses 1 • Begins with 1789 as year 1 • 2014= year 226 Comte’s Calendar

  13. Names of the months: Best representatives of mankind • 1.  Moses • 2.  Homer • 3.  Aristotle • 4.  Archimedes • 5.  Caesar • 6.  St. Paul • 7.  Charlemagne • 8.  Dante • 9.  Gutenburg • 10. Shakespeare • 11. Descartes • 12. Frederick II (“The Great”, King of Prussia) • 13. Bichat (Marie François Xavier Bichat a French anatomist & physiologist) Comte’s Calendar

  14. According to Comte the history of mankind develops in three stages: 1. Theological Stage 2. Metaphysical Stage 3. Positivist Stage Positivist View of History

  15. “Law of 3 Stages” • 1. Theological Stage(Understanding based on) • Will of Human-like: • Gods • Spirits • Demons • Ghosts Comte: Ideas

  16. Objects are alive & have human-like qualities • Rocks • Trees • Weapons Early Theological Stage

  17. Monotheism • One all-powerful god • Explained everything Later Theological Stage

  18. (1300 to his time period) • Natural forces were not superhuman • Abstract concepts like ‘cause’, ‘ether’ , ‘being’, ‘substance’ etc. • No more God • God was an abstract entity. • Social organization = laws-oriented society 2) Metaphysical Stage

  19. Transition • Upheaval & chaos • Feudal institutions destroyed • Make way for Positive Stage 2) Metaphysical Stage (cont.)

  20. Man explains natural phenomena factually • Ex. Fall of an apple not caused by God or ‘primal cause’, but by ‘gravitation’. • Humans can observe neither God nor primal cause. • Only fact is observable. • Social organization is industrial society 3. Positivist Stage

  21. Invariable natural laws • Sociological truths • High Priests of Sociology • Positive spirit • Morality & duties regulatesociety 3) Positivist Stage

  22. Private economic activities • No government intervention • Restrict pretensions of wealthy • Silences the poor 3) Positivist Stage

  23. Social inequality= “just” • Based on individual abilities • Shared truth Positivist Stage

  24. Societies go through these stages as well: • Theological • Metaphysical • Positive Societal Stages

  25. Ancient World: Dominated by military men • Basic societal unit is family Theological Stage

  26. Middle Ages: Under authority of churchmen and lawyers • The state rises to social prominence Metaphysical Stage

  27. Modern Age: Governed by industrial administrators and scientific moral guides. • Whole human race becomes main social unit. Positive Stage

  28. “The historical comparison of the consecutive states of humanity is not only the chief scientific device ... it constitutes the substratum of the science... Sociology is nothing if not informed by a sense of historical evolution” Historical Comparison

  29. Comte: Different parts of the world were at different stages of development. • Comparing these different social systems enables better understanding of social order and social change TR 9/16 Historical Comparison

  30. Each science based on prior development science preceding it • Each is more complex than the last • Social sciences are most complex and • Highest in the hierarchy • Sociology completes positive method. • All others are preparatory to it Scientific Stages

  31. According to Comte, mathematics is fundamental to all sciences. • Mathematics is basis of modern astronomy • Mathematics and astronomy are the basis of modern physics. • These three sciences are the basis of the chemistryand biology. • The complete and last science is sociology that assumes the other five sciences. The Hierarchy of Sciences

  32. First named new science “social physics” • Later changed this to “sociology” • From the Greek “soci” which means “society” and • Latin “ology” which means “study of” Comte’s Terms

  33. Social Statics= Stability • Social Dynamics= Change • Social Realism= • Society is real • “Social organism” Comte’s Terms

  34. Humans incapable of self-control • Need social (societal) control Comte: Human Nature

  35. Intellectually inferior to men • Emotionally superior (e.g., altruism) • Model altruism for children & men • Make society harmonious Comte: Women’s Role in Society

  36. 1. Coined term “Sociology” 2. Applied sociology (improve society) 3. Social statics & Social dynamics 4. Emphasized positivism • Science creates truth Comte: Relevance to Sociology

  37. Comte one of the first functionalists • Stressed consequences that social phenomena have on entire social system • And interconnectedness of parts of the system Functionalism

  38. Always be a “spontaneous harmony” between parts and whole social system • Political institutions and social manners • Manners and ideas • Society must be connected with the development of humanity   Functionalism

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