The Essential Comte (RLE Social Theory): Selected from 'Cours de philosophie positive' by Auguste Comte

by Stanislav Andreski (Editor)

Auguste Comte proclaimed himself the founder of sociology and, on the whole, this claim is accepted. His most important work is the six-volume Cours de Philosophie Positive of which this present book is a selective abridgement. Comte, as this selection shows, was a methodological visionary. He was an eminently successful terminological innovator and to him we owe not only 'sociology' and 'positivism' but also 'biology' and 'altruism'. Professor Andreski, in his lucid introduction, assesses Comte's place under six headings, as scientist, philosopher, sociological theorist, sociological historian, reformer and methodologist. But this selection from Comte's works will be most welcomed because it provides a modern English translation of the main body of his thought.

Genres: Sociology

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Stanisław Leonard Andrzejewski

Reviews

[Sanjay Varma]

I really enjoyed the parts of this book that I read. These included Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and a few of the chapters on social studies.

Nowadays, when people talk about philosophy of science they seem to only mention that Kuhn book on scientific revolutions. But it's important to remember that there is a much longer program, starting with Francis Bacon's call for free exchange of scientific findings internationally through the creation of societies.

Comte defines the purpose, and the natural limitations, of each scientific field. In doing so he reminded me of Kant whose "critiques" we're meant to identify the boundaries on the limits of human perception and therefore knowledge.

I happen to think that positivism, as Comte's philosophy came to be known, has been taken too far (becoming "Scientism") and has confused people into believing that measuring things is equated with knowledge and certainty. But Comte himself acknowledges that there is a hierarchy in the sciences, with mathematics being able to generate what we think of as laws, while the other fields are less capable.

So I recommend the book!