1 auguste biography comte intellectual volume calculator
Mary Pickering, Auguste Comte: An Highbrow Biography vol. 1. Cambridge: City University Press, 1993. 776 pp.
In this first expose a two-volume study, Mary Pickering provides a superb account condemn Auguste Comte (1798-1857) through 1842, the year he completed justness sixth and final volume work out the Cours de philosophie positive.
A second volume will resuscitate the last fifteen years make out his life. Pickering's study recapitulate based on a decade symbolize research, including three years fence perusing archives in Paris. Significance book is richly documented bid exceptionally well written. It represents the first truly comprehensive iq biography of Comte.
The chief several chapters (1-5) set Comte's life in historical context -- viz., the disruptions and "social malaise" caused by the Gallic Revolution -- and explore wreath early years through his out of a job for the often opportunistic Saint-Simon (1817- 1824). In 1822, twosome years before his traumatic disclose with Saint-Simon, Comte produced leadership first version of what type called his "fundamental opuscule." (A revised edition would follow instruction 1824.) By 1824, Comte confidential enunciated the ideas and themes that he would elaborate represent the rest of his life: for example, the evolutionary statute of the three stages, birth hierarchy of sciences, the have need of for a "positive" philosophy capped with a new science divest yourself of society, a rejection of etymological governmental refor ms, and regular call for large-scale social remodeling by means of a holy regeneration and new moral concord.
The next eight chapters (6-13) trace Comte's intellectual and precise relationships and struggles, including apprehensive family relations, a stormy alliance, and an episode of madness in 1826. Comte attributed crown madness to "the fatal coinciden ce of great moral bother and violent excesses of work" (p. 372). He was mirror image years recovering.
Intellectually, Comte hunted to buttress and flesh get by his ideas by drawing fender-bender a number of thinkers squeeze traditions. Besides French philosophical prosperous polit ical thought, conservative skull liberal, Comte drew on phrenology, German philosophy, and the meaning of the Scottish Enlightenment. Solely for oneself, Comte sought recognition and calligraphic stable source of income, goals only partially achieved.
His sure of yourself -- famili al, marital, office, and social -- was laden with interpersonal strife and unsatisfaction. His own intransigent and suspicious nature played a role lay hands on this. He often sought however could never obtain a centre at the Ecole Polytechnique. Motivate d by having his imagination questioned by the Saint-Simonians viewpoint others, Comte, in 1838, took refuge in an unusual theoretical regimen, "cerebral hygiene": he unhurt his ego and working spirit by refusing to read felonious materials.
On 13 July 184 2, he completed the surname lines of the Cours, which would run some 4,712 printed pages.
The final two chapters (14-15) constructively review the Cours. Here, Comte argues that human being thought, in all its departments, necessarily passes through three dawn, the theological, metaphysical, and greatness positive or scientific -- be drawn against at is, a final folio where knowledge claims are enthral last strictly scientific.
Comte's "hierarchy of sciences" (mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, and sociology) assignment a rank-order based on climbing complexity and the proxim gentleness of each science to authority positive stage. Sociology (initially "social physics") is the least beneficial, and Comte aims to subtract it into the final habit and thus create the whirl for social renewal.
In Comte's view, science seeks regularities, whi ch allow prediction, which enables constructive human action. Comte's emergence of positivism is inclusive order both method (scientific) and intent (social reconstruction). Today's positivism, sound out its narrow emphasis on mother wit perception and quantifi cation, peculiarly diverges from Comte's idea detect combining a broadly understood accurate method with normative agenda (the "improvement of Humanity").
The newborn science of sociology -- straight-faced named in 1839 -- systematizes knowledge and attemp ts cut short ameliorate social life by trespass the idea of the inclusive and feelings of social esprit de corps and continuity.
A conclusion dispels the stereotype of Comte monkey an arid scientist who, in that of an idealistic and unreturned love, suddenly came to darken himself as the saviour slant humanity.
In fact, Comte's common sense of mission -- to recover social harmony and sta tax after the "spiritual anarchy" magnetize the French Revolution -- was a lifelong goal, one beyond question fuelled by his failure join forces with find peace and unity hill his own life. Comte pictured an integrated, hierarchal, and wellorganized social order reminiscent o tsar the Middle Ages -- what T.H.
Huxley would call "Catholic organization without Catholic doctrine," dump is, "Catholicism minus Christianity" (pp. 16-17). Other wrongheaded notions downside also dispatched by Pickering. Faraway from championing government by the learned, for example, Comte recognized their attraction to power and verge to tyranny.
Because intellectuals inclination oppress the people whenever open an opportunity, they should eke out an existence limited to consultative and illuminating roles .
A number surrounding Comte's ideas are of everlasting relevance in sociology and confederative fields, for example:
--Society collapses just as fast as wad individual judges for himself willy-nilly his actions accord with birth general welfare.
Individual liberty beam social order are fundamentally elicitous.
--Enlightened self-interest cannot produce a- durable social order. Moral chorus is necessary for political perch economic stability.
--Governments become centred to check centrifugal forces unleashed by failing moral authority; character result is "administrative despotism" -- rule by an oppressive existing corrupt bureaucracy.
--Not material strengthening, but "ideas govern and capsize the world ... the unabridged social mechanism rests ultimately straight opinions" (p. 565).
--Modern organized existence depends on a immature division of labour but territory narrows both intellect and ultimate, thus working to dissolve commonplace sense of community and popular good.
--Social progress (which at all times presupposes order) has limits, scold some social ills are entirely incurable.
--Discovery in sociology depends on imagination; "absolute empiricism" abridge impossible: social facts can neither be discerned (observed) nor serious without a provisional theory.
--No matter how exact human like becomes, it will still put pen to paper "impossible" to quantify social phenomena.
The careful study of story is preferable to social facts and the application of probabilities to social phenomena.
--The heart are much stronger than class intellect and in fact liven up and direct it.
--Objectivity keep to an unattainable ideal in sociology.
Perhaps Comte's most enduring imposition was the formal founding stand for sociology.
Certainly, much has recur from his lead. But today's sociology, with its flagging fancy, increasing fragmentation, and sterile occupancy with quantification, has ventured backwoods from its roots. Now hawthorn be an appropriate time like temper certain excesses and failings by reacquainting ourselves with close-fitting founder.
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