1. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Background
Catholic “at the wrong time,” in that political viewpoints associated with the Church were in favor.
Background
Catholic “at the wrong time,” in that political viewpoints associated with the Church were in favor.

2. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Background
Opposed to the excesses of
of the Revolution.
Social order paramount.
Ecole Polytechnique: Military efficiency and preeminence of science.
Secretary to Saint-Simon (1817).
Similar beliefs about society.
Comte preferred more positivist approach.

3. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Background
Breaks with Saint-Simon (1824).
Mental breakdown (1826).
“Cerebral hygiene.”
Not popular in scientific community.
Death of Clotilde: Emotion over intellect, feeling over mind.
“Founder of Universal Religion, Great Priest of Humanity.”
The new order: The Positivist Society.

4. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Intellectual Influences
Social order.
Science of society.
Hobbes, Kant, Saint-Simon.
Empirical approach to society
Observe structure and function to predict future events.
Critical of Enlightenment individualism.

5. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Intellectual Influences
Pascal: Continuity of history.
Turgot: Three stages of history.
Montesquieu: Laws of society.
Condorcet: Progress through science.
Use science to understand the laws of society.
Use science to predict the future of society.
Apply science to directing society.
de Bonald and de Maistre: Negative reaction to the French Revolution: Need to restore order.

6. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Intellectual Influences
The tradition of order:
Social contracts did not work.
Men had duties, not rights.
Society perfects man.
The tradition of liberalism
Laissez faire economics (Adam Smith) is a system conducive to anarchy.
Division of labor, on the other hand, awakens social cooperation.

7. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Concepts and Contributions
Coined term: Sociology.
The “social physics” of society.
Reject metaphysics and theology.
Science should intervene for the betterment of society.
Positivism: study society in the same manner as the natural sciences:
Natural laws.
Objective observation.

8. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Concepts and Contributions
Law of three stages
Theological: Rule by religion.
Metaphysical: Rule by mystics.
Positive: Reason, observation, natural laws of society that can predict future events.
Research Methods
Observation.
Experimentation.
Comparison.
Historical.

9. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Concepts and Contributions
Social Statics (“anatomy”)
Social structure.
Unit of observation is individual.
Processes that hold society together.
Humans must cooperate with one another.
Government functions for the benefit of the whole.
Subordination to government is necessary to achieve consensus.

10. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Concepts and Contributions
Social Statics (“anatomy”)
Consensus universalis.
Necessary for solidarity.
Foundation for the division of labor.
Importance of the family for maintaining consensus and social solidarity.

11. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Concepts and Contributions
Social Dynamics (“physiology”)
Social change.
Progress through science.
Change is evolutionary.
Dynamic equilibrium of alterations within the rule of government and social order.
Change came about as a result of a need to refine structure to adapt to new needs in society.

12. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Concepts and Contributions
Hierarchy of the Sciences
Mathematics.*
Astronomy.
Physics.
Biology.
Chemistry.
Sociology: The queen of the sciences.
Sociology is the most complex of the sciences.

13. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Concepts and Contributions
Division of Labor
Creates solidarity.
Tasks suitable to talents.
Parts function for the benefit of the whole.
Religion of Humanity
Religion contributes to social stability.
Need to move away from theocracy.
Positive religion: Humanistic approach.
The “new clergy” were sociologists.

14. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Concepts and Contributions
Race, Class, Women
Romanticized the working class.
Positivism over communism:
Positivism focused on morals.
Positivism encouraged individuality.
Positivism esteems leaders of industry.
Positivism encourage inheritance to provide historical continuity.
Women’s “affectional” component was a critical piece of positivism: order over self.

15. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Concepts and Contributions
Language
Binds us to one another.
Promotes unity.
Allows for interaction.
Continuity of traditions.
Without language, solidarity, consensus, and social order would be impossible.

16. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Concepts and Contributions
Theory
Necessary for observation.
Ideas guide science.
Science guides society.
Organic Analogy
Society is like a living organism.
The advancement of the organism through the three stages (for individuals and societies) is a progression of ideas.

17. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Relevancy
“Sociology.”
Functionalism.
Laws of society.
Positivism: the importance of scientific methods.
Social statics and social dynamics.
Focus on the practical applications of science.
Focus on macro-structures gives Comte’s sociology a strong historical perspective.
Last Line: Focus on his science, ignore his advocacy as the “Great Priest of Humanity.”

18. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Philosophy
Realism vs. Idealism
Realism, because he believed
that society had laws that could
be discovered.
Realism vs. Nominalism
Realism, because Comte believed that abstract ideas, such as “social contract,” were real in their consequences.

19. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Philosophy
Idealism vs. Materialism
Idealist in noting the importance
of language in forming social
relationships.
Materialist in focus upon the functional imperatives of society.

20. The Conservative Reaction
Auguste Comte ( )
Contemporary Issues
Strong federal government
Preeminence of scientific over value-based explanations.
Separation of church and state.
Policy guided by values, but not by blunders.
Most likely a democrat rather than a republican.