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    Comte (1798-1857)

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    Kishron Richards
    Auguste Comte (1798-1857) developed one of the first comprehensive scope of sociology as a scientific discipline. He believed that sociology would discover the natural laws governing human society through empirical observation and analysis, just as other sciences had discovered laws in their domains. Comte saw sociology as the pinnacle science, helping establish order following the French Revolution by coordinating human activities according to immutable social laws. However, his determinism left little room for human freedom and individuality.

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    Comte (1798-1857)

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    Kishron Richards
    95 views23 pages
    Auguste Comte (1798-1857) developed one of the first comprehensive scope of sociology as a scientific discipline. He believed that sociology would discover the natural laws governing human society through empirical observation and analysis, just as other sciences had discovered laws in their domains. Comte saw sociology as the pinnacle science, helping establish order following the French Revolution by coordinating human activities according to immutable social laws. However, his determinism left little room for human freedom and individuality.

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    Auguste Comte (1798-1857) developed one of the first comprehensive scope of sociology as a scientific discipline. He believed that sociology would discover the natural laws governing human society through empirical observation and analysis, just as other sciences had discovered laws in their domains. Comte saw sociology as the pinnacle science, helping establish order following the French Revolution by coordinating human activities according to immutable social laws. However, his determinism left little room for human freedom and individuality.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    95 views23 pages

    Comte (1798-1857)

    Uploaded by

    Kishron Richards
    Auguste Comte (1798-1857) developed one of the first comprehensive scope of sociology as a scientific discipline. He believed that sociology would discover the natural laws governing human society through empirical observation and analysis, just as other sciences had discovered laws in their domains. Comte saw sociology as the pinnacle science, helping establish order following the French Revolution by coordinating human activities according to immutable social laws. However, his determinism left little room for human freedom and individuality.

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    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    Comte (1798-1857)

    Auguste Comte (1798-1857)


    In The Positive Philosophy (1853) Comte put forth the view that all phenomena are subjected to invariable natural laws Sociology would discover these laws and be at the pinnacle of these sciences Comte saw social physics as the Queen of the Sciences

    Auguste Comte (1798-1857)


    The name social physics, was renamed sociology when Comte realized that one of his adversaries (Adolphe Quetletmathematician) has used the term before Sociology is a hybrid from Greek (socio or society) and Latin (logus, study on a high level)

    Auguste Comte (1798-1857)

    For Comte, each science builds on the one that precedes it. Sociology is the culmination of all the sciences that went before it. Given its place in the evolution of the sciences, sociology could look at social laws, just as the natural and physical sciences looked at natural and physical laws

    Auguste Comte (1798-1857)


    Sociology, for Comte, was first and foremost a science, and its methods of analysis were thus based on the scientific methods of discovery that were used at the time The key to Comtes new science of sociology was the idea that society had a reality of its own, one that could not be reduced to the existence of individuals

    Auguste Comte (1798-1857)

    This notion of society having a reality of its own (society as sui generis) would also become a staple of functionalism. Individuals are not very important, perhaps not very important at all, in Comtes sociology; his major concern was society and its laws

    Auguste Comte (1798-1857)


    Comtes

    Law of Human Progress Knowledge passes through 3 stages Theological or fictitious; metaphysical or abstract and positive or scientific

    Auguste Comte (1798-1857)


    Theological stage up until about A.D 1300 Focus of explaining all events by the will of the supernatural The theological stage evolved through three phases: fetishism, polytheism and monotheism and its social form was distinguished by military conquest and slavery

    Auguste Comte (1798-1857)


    The metaphysical stage existed until 1800 was characterized by ascribing events to nature Two phases: destructive and constructive Positive stage- the ascendancy of science and the major social form was industrialism

    Q1 Comtes source of order/solidarity/conflict:


    The negative aftermath of the French Revolution proved to be the focus of Comtes work to establish order The underlying basis of social order was the distribution of function and the combination of effort

    Q1 Comtes source of order/solidarity/conflict:


    By Distribution of function,Comte meant the division of labour and the attendant increasing labour specialization By combination of effort Comte meant combining the actions of the whole society towards a common goal, all of which would be coordinated through the efforts of some kind of institution of power and authority

    Q1 Comtes source of order/solidarity/conflict:


    For Comte, society was like a living organism and conflict was to be avoided as much as possible For Comte as society evolves to the positivistic stage, conflict would become a dim memory as harmony began its reign Sociology would ensure order that did not exist the previous stages

    2. Relationship between consciousness and society


    Comte believed that the external world shaped and influenced the minds of individuals According to Comte, progress to the Positive Stage egoism will be subjugated to altruism, enabling the human species to progress toward a harmonious existence

    3. Methodological Issues
    Introduce the concept of positivism- a method of inquiry based on empiricism and that is geared to the discovery of general laws 4 appropriate methods of empiricism: Observation; experiment; comparison and historical analysis

    3. Methodological Issues
    Observations- conclusions must be base on observations. Observations should be linked to theory. Related to this view of observation was Comtes approach to how social scientist should use the concept of hypothesis in his or her observations.

    3. Methodological Issues
    Hypotheses needed to be verified by both induction (the building of a theoretical framework through the accumulation of data) and deduction (the use of a theory to test propositions) By emphasizing predictions, the positive philosopher could go beyond merely using predominantly scientific criterion of induction. Scientists could also use both deduction and induction

    3. Methodological Issues
    Experiment- Comte argued that sociologists can employ experiments via indirect experiments. With indirect experiments the sociologists can look at where natural laws are disturbed and draw inferences Today, with some modifications, we call this methodological approach deviant case analysis

    3. Methodological Issues

    Comparison- the comparative method was extremely important to Comte. Three types of comparisons were advocated: comparisons of humans to animals, comparison of existing societies and comparison of societies at different stages of their development

    3. Methodological Issues

    The first two methods of comparison were to be used in looking at social statics and the third when the focus of inquiry was on social dynamics. All three types would help the sociologist discover the immutable laws that governed human societies

    3. Methodological Issues

    Historical- the historical method was the most useful one for the sociologist. It differentiated biology from sociology and enabled the sociologist to see the direction of laws as they developed overtime.

    4.Does Comtes sociology lead to freedom?


    The simple answer is NO because Comte was a determinist and had little interest in freedom Comte saw people as coming to live in harmony with the immutable laws discovered by sociology in the Positivistic stage of human development

    4.Does Comtes sociology lead to freedom?

    He envisioned a new existence for humankind, one based on conformity to the laws emanating from the Religion of Humanity.

    Comte: An Assessment
    Critique 1. His personal life affected his work 2. Comte did no real empirical work. 3. He practiced cerebral hygiene His basic methods of social researchobservation, experimentation, comparison and historical researchremain major methods of social research

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