What Are the Reasons Auguste Comte Introduced the Science of Social Physics or Sociology?

What Are the Reasons Auguste Comte Introduced the Science of “Social Physics” or “Sociology”?

Sociology 701

Professor Lenzer

Fakhria Khanam

About Isidore Marie Auguste FranÐ"§ois Xavier Comte

Although a little less well known than other great thinkers such as Karl Marx or Max Webber, Auguste Comte was the one who coined the term “Sociology”. He had a great mind even though he never received a college level degree. Comte was born at Montpellier, in southwestern France on January 19, 1798. After his schooling years, he was admitted to the Ð"‰cole Polytechnique in Paris. French ideals of republicanism and progress was greatly followed by the Polytechnique, this later as we will see had a lasting effect on Auguste Comte. He left this institution when it was undergoing reorganization and closed in 1816. He did continue this study in a medical school at Montpellier. He turned himself away from the Polytechnique so much so that when it reopened he did not request for readmission.

Comte did not come from a well to do family with whom he also had differences before leaving them, and hardly had any good job to support himself financially with any solvency. He mostly spent time earning money from small jobs and sometimes help from his friends. At 20 years old, in 1818, he became a student and secretary to Claude Henri Saint-Simon, who was a philosopher 40 years older than Comte. Saint-Simon introduced Comte to the intellectual and later Comte also acknowledged that fact. While working with Saint-Simon, Comte published his philosophy of positivism in what he called Plan of scientific studies necessary for the reorganization of society. But like with his family, Comte also had differences with Saint-Simon accusing him of not giving him enough credit for his contribution. Because of this their relationship soured in 1824.

Comte tried to present his philosophy on life in 1826 with a series of 72 public lectures. This plan drew distinguished audiences. Unfortunately, this was halted after three lectures when Comte suffered a nervous breakdown. He couldn’t be cured completely and continued to suffer mental problems. This lead to him trying to commit suicide in 1827 by throwing himself in the Seine River.

Comte was given a minor position in Ecole Polytechnique as a lecturer in 1832 and later became an examiner in 1837 which for the first time gave him an adequate source of income.

He also did not have success in his marriage life with the first marriage to Caroline Massin ending in divorce. He was later involved with Clotilde de Vaux from 1844 to 1846 when she died. It is after her death that Comte became quasi-religious. He also thought himself as a high priest of a new religion of humanity, thinking that world would be eventually lead by sociologist priests.

Comte also had some outrageous ideas such as avoiding reading the work of other people with the result that he became out of touch with intellectual developments. In spite of such ideas, he had a strong following nationally in France and internationally in other countries such as Brazil. August Comte died on September 5, 1857.

August Comte’s Major Works:

During the time when he was employed by the Polytechnique, he produced his best work, The Course of Positive Philosophy (1830-1842) which was published in 1842. It is in this work that Comte first coined the term Sociology, and presented Sociology as the ultimate science. He also attacked his employer, Polytechnique, in this work and as a result his employment was not renewed after 1844.

By 1854 he also completed the four-volume System of Positive Polity; or, Treatise on Sociology, Instituting the Religion of Humanity (1851-1854). This work was produced when Comte became quasi-religious and saw himself as a founder and prophet of a new religion, “the Religion of Humanity”. This work had a practical intent on offering a grand plan to reorganize society.

A General View of Positivism (1848) is another work by August Comte in which he gives an overview of philosophy of positivism where philosophy is subordinated to the development of sciences.

The Catechism of Positive Religion (1852) by Comte is closely related to him seeing himself as the high priest of the new religion, the Religion of Humanity. In this work, he tries to explain the worship, doctrine, regime or system of life, and history of religion. His Appeal to Conservative (1855) is a call to anybody who is disposed to listen to his ideas of positive religion.

Introduction of the Science of Social Physics or Sociology:

In this paper we are asked to explore the different reasons of introducing the science of Social Physics or Sociology by Auguste Comte. Sociology as we all already know is the study of the science of society, the interaction of different phenomena in societies throughout the world. Many societies behave differently at different times, all subject to changes by social revolution brought forth by thoughts of humans, more precisely, the intellect of that time. As we will see later, this science like other fundamental sciences has three stages of development as pointed out in “Auguste Comte and Positivism”. To answer the question reasonable well of why introduce sociology, we must first explore the circumstances of why there was a need to introduce that science. We will also explore the basis of social structure that existed in that time and in what stage of development. Then it will be easy to see what drove the change which would lead to the study of sociology. To answer that question, we will discuss the relation of sociology to other department of sciences and where sociology fits in that pecking order. After understanding of all these different factors, only then will we be able to see why sociology was needed to be introduced.

To understand the development of sociology, it is necessary to understand how any branch of our knowledge progresses successively through different conditions.