AUGUST COMTE :FATHER OF SOCIOLOGY
Isidore Auguste Marie Francois Xavier Comte was born in Montellier of
Southern France in January 1, 1798 and died in 1857. He was the first thinker
who realized the need for a distinct science of human society. He is regarded
as the father of sociology. He is regarded as the father not because of his
significant contributions to the subject but because of creating sociology as a
science of society or science of human behaviour. Comte first gave the name
“Social Physics” to the science invented by him but later he coined the word
“Sociology a hybrid term compounded of Latin and Greek words to describe the
new science
Auguste
Comte, a volatile Frenchman, philosopher, moralist and sociologist,
traditionally regarded as the father of sociology. He coined the term sociology
and bee father of sociology. He tried to create a new science of society, which
would not only explain the past of mankind but also predict its future course.
Auguste Comate was born in France the year 1798. He invented a new discipline
which he called at first social physics and changed it to sociology thereafter.
"Auguste Comte may be considered as first and foremost, sociologist of
human and social unity" so writes the French sociologist Raymond Aron. Important
works are
(1)
Positive Philosophy (1830-42).
(2)
Systems of positive polity (1851 -54)
(3)
Religion of Humanity (1856).
His
contribution to sociology can be divided into four categories. They are
namely:-
(1)
Classification and ordering of social sciences.
(2) The
nature, method and scope of sociology.
(3) The
law of three stages.
(4) The
plan for social reconstruction.
(5)
Positivism.
LAW OF THREE STAGES:
Auguste
Comte was the first person to proclaim Law of Three stages, which became the
corner stone of his thought. Of course, this famous law had been borrowed from
R. J. Turgot, Y. B.Vico and Saint-Simon. The law states that human thought has
undergone three separate stages in its evolution and development. According to
him human thought as well as social progress pass through three important
stages. These three stages are the universal law of human progress. These three
stages are common in case of the development of human knowledge as well as
social evolution. Human individual is a staunch believer during childhood, then
becomes a critical metaphysician in adolescence and becomes a natural
Philosopher during manhood. A similar case of development takes place in case
of human society. Law of Three Stages not only talks about the progressive
transformation of society but also explain the transformation in minds of the
people. The evolution of human mind goes hand in hand with a typical form of
organisation of society. The period of growth and development in society is
known as:
(1)
Theological or Fictitious stage.
(2)
Metaphysical' or Abstract stage.
(3)
Positive or Scientific stage.
Comte
stated that each succeeding stage is superior to the earlier stage.
Theological or Fictitious Stage:
During the
primitive stage, the early man believed that all phenomena of nature are the
creation of the divine or supernatural. The primitive man and children do not
have the scientific outlook, therefore it is characterised by unscientific
outlook. They failed to discover the natural causes of various phenomena and hence
attributed them to supernatural or divine power. For example, primitive men saw
God everywhere in nature. They supposed that excess or deficiency of rain due
to Godly wrath; such a casual explanation would be in terms of theological or
fictitious explanation. The theological stage of thinking may be divided into
three sub-stages such as
a)
Fetishism.
b)
Polytheism.
c)
Monotheism.
a)
Fetishism was the primary stage of theological stage of thinking. During this
period primitive people believed that there is a living spirit in the nonliving
objects. This is otherwise known as animism. People worshipped inanimate
objects like tress, stones, a piece of wood, etc. These objects are considered
as Fetish.
b)
Polytheism means believing in many Gods. Primitive people believed that
different Gods control different natural forces. Each God had some definite
function and his scope and area of action was determined. For example, God of
water, God of rain and God of fire, God of air, etc.
c)
Monotheism is the last and the most developed form of theological thinking.
Monotheism means believing in one God or God in one.
Metaphysical or Abstract stage: -
Metaphysical
stage is an extension of theological stage. During this period, reason and
rationality was growing. Reason replaced imagination. People tried to believe
that God is an abstract being. Soul is the spark of divine power i.e. inform of
abstract forces. It is believed that an abstract power or force guides and
determines the events in the world. Metaphysical thinking discards belief in
concrete God. The nature of enquiry was legal and rational in nature. For
example; Classical Hindu Indian society where the principle of transmigration
of soul, the conception of rebirth, notions of pursuant has were largely
governed by metaphysical uphill.
Positive or Scientific Stage:
This
positive stage is also known a scientific stage. The dawn of 19th century
marked the beginning of this stage. It is characterised by scientific
knowledge. In this stage, human mind gave up the taken for granted approach. At
this stage, human mind tried to establish cause and affect relationship.
Scientific knowledge is based on facts. Facts are collected by observation and
classification of phenomena.
Positivism
is a purely intellectual way of looking at the world. Positivism emphasises on
observation and classification of data and facts. One can observe uniformities
or laws about natural as well as social phenomena. Positivistic thinking is
best suited to the need of industrial society.
Contributions of Comte to the
Development of Sociology as a Science:
1. Comte gave to ‘sociology’ its name and laid its
foundation so that it could develop into an independent and a separate science.
2. Comte’s insistence on positive approach, objectivity and
scientific attitude contributed to the progress of social sciences in general.
3. Comte, through his “Law of Three Stages” clearly
established the close association between intellectual evolution and social
progress.
4. Comte’s classification of sciences drives home the fact
that sociology depends heavily on the achievements of other sciences. The
‘interdisciplinary approach’ of the modern times is in tune with the Comtean
view.
5. Comte gave maximum importance to the scientific method.
He criticised the attitude of the armchair social philosophers and stressed the
need to follow the method of science.
6. Comte divided the study of sociology into two broad
areas:”social statics” and “social dynamics”. Present day sociologists have
retained them in the form of’ social structure and function” and ”social change
and progress’.
7. Comte had argued that sociology was not just a “pure”
science, but an “applied” science also. He believed that sociology should help
to solve the problems of society. This insistence on the practical aspect of
sociology led to the development of various applied fields of sociology such as
“social work”, “social welfare”, etc.
8. Comte also contributed to the development of theoretical
sociology.
9. Comte upheld the ‘moral order’ in the society. The
importance which he attached to morality highly impressed the later writers
such as Arnold Toynbee and Pitirim A. Sorokin.
10. Comte’s famous books (i)’Positive Philosophy’ [in 6
volumes] and, (ii) “Positive Polity’ [in 4 volumes] are a memorable contributions
to the development of sociological literature.
By:Dr Richa SrivastavaAssistant Professor
Law Departments
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