Rev 6: St Simon & Comte

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Lecutre Review Notes 6:

Saint Simon
1760 - 1825

Auguste Comte
1798 - 1857

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Saint Simon 1760 - 1825

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The Enlightenment circa 1642 - 1789

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Saint Simon on the Enlightenment

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Saint Simon on a New Society

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Auguste Comte 1797-1857

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Outline on Saint Simon
1760 - 1825

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Need to re-organize (1st half is done)

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- Biography & Major Works

ST SIMON DEVELOPED AN EARLY SOCIAL SCIENCE WHICH HE HOPED WOULD BE UNIFIED
W/ THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES, & INFLUENCED BY MANY ENLIGHTENMENT IDEALS

Saint Simon called study of human conduct "Social Physiology" which he saw the as a science of social organization

Saint Simon conceptualized social physiology as a science of social organization

Saint Simon emphasized that historical change is at heart of society

Two intellectual currents shape St. Simon's thought, including:

1. The Enlightenment

2. Struggle btwn Romantics/Conservatives & Catholics

Like Enlightenment thinkers, Saint Simon had faith in the power of reason to change world

But Saint Simon disagrees w/ Enlightenment thinkers on the evaluation of the Middle Ages

Saint Simon appreciated medieval unity & believed that science & industry sounded the death knell of the Middle Ages

Saint Simon hoped for a unified science, the physical & social sciences

Saint Simon hoped the human sciences would become united as had the natural & physical sciences

During his lifetime, Saint Simon saw the dream of unification as fading

Saint Simon viewed science as a body of verified & established beliefs that could replace religion

Saint Simon believes that human knowledge passed through 3 stages in development

1. Theological

2. Metaphysical

3. Scientific

SAINT SIMON ADVOCATED A MERITOCRACY OF 3 CLASSES

1. Scientists

2. Artists

3. Industrialists

Saint Simon advocates a unification of bourgeoisie & professional classes, but the bourgeoisie repudiated him for his theology

St. Simon's class analysis is different from most analyses today

Saint Simon lumped together
- bankers - industrialists - scientists
- mgrs. - & manual workers
assuming they all share common interests

Saint Simon believed that a meritocracy should replace the existing class system:

In his Letters from an Inhabitant of Geneva, Saint Simon views old society as divided into three classes:

1. Intellectuals: scientists, artists, liberals

2. The "Haves:" property owners: resist change

3. The "Have nots:" the rest of humanity: wants equality

SAINT SIMON BELIEVED SCIENCE & RELIGION SHOULD UNITE

Saint Simon believed that to achieve a unified religion, the new scientific elite must replace spiritual authority of the Church, providing a unified scientific doctrine

For Saint Simon, the structure of society remains, w/ intellectuals replacing Church

Saint Simon is imploring the propertied class to join intellectuals

Saint Simon's goals are to better humanity & create a new society

See Also: Saint Simon's new society

Saint Simon bases social theories on scientific evidence, but many believe that his conclusions were unsystematic

Saint Simon developed ideas of positivism, industrialism, internationalism, & a "new religion" before 1814

Later Thierry & Comte viewed Saint Simon's as their own ideas (see Link Comte's intellectual "borrowing")

ST SIMON AGREED W/ HEGEL THAT HISTORY DEMONSTRATED A RATIONAL UNFOLDING OF SOCIETY

Saint Simon has a developmental view of history

While Hegel viewed historical development of society as increasing realization of reason, Saint Simon placed scientific knowledge in that role

For Hegel,

- history & rationalization had stages

- each stage of history & rationalization had stages w/ a degree of rationality, & therefore necessity

- each stage of history & rationalization consisted of a struggle of opposing forces

Hegel's stages may be seen as stages of ascent, maturity, & decline

Saint Simon's theory is disjointed & piecemeal, but accepts many of Hegel's ideas

Saint Simon believes that history has passed through the stages of:

- polytheism

- theism

- & now physicism

Society is now in the positive or scientific stage

Today society is based on science, & has entered a positive stage where all knowledge will be unified on a scientific positive basis

Science, industry, markets, Protestant Revolution, & negative critical philosophy of Enlightenment all undermined Catholic church & hence medieval society

Social change is periodic or dialectical

Society alternated btwn ‘organic periods’ & ‘periods of crises’

RELIGION & SCIENCE TOGETHER COULD FOSTER A BETTER SOCIETY

Like Bonald, Saint Simon believed the stability of medieval Europe was result of its universally accepted religion

Religion should unite people on basis of common truths

For Saint Simon, the function of religion is to provide a coherent view of universe & human existence, uniting people on basis of common truths

Knowledge could be taught as well as passed by rituals, cults, & mystical processes

Saint Simon's Internationalism held that social development cannot take place in a single country [ Marx agreed ]

Therefore we must develop a community of nations where despotism is eliminated

Science & positive philosophy must bind the nations of Europe into one international community, for w/o international order there can be no order or stability in individual societies of Europe

All European countries have similar a social, econ, & religious history

MILITARISM & CLASS BASED INEQUALITY THREATENED SOCIETY

Emergent industrial forces & spirit render the military spirit obsolete

Military conflict hinders the development of industrial civilization

Modern society is united by the need for security in production & liberty

But StS did not believe in the survival of the feudal elements in society

StS did not believe in the new nationalism in Europe which in the 20th C manifested itself as econ rivalry & led to WW I & WW II

StS recognized that the values of some classes threaten society

WHILE INDIVIDUALISM WAS A HISTLY NEW SOCIAL RELATION, ST SIMON RECOGNIZED ITS WEAKNESSES

StS does not believe that the pursuit of individual well being will create societal good

The value that the pursuit of individual well being creates societal good is a primary capitalist value today

Unbridled egoism & consumption by rich, as well as rebelliousness of poor, will upset society in absence of a worldly ethic

StS's beliefs on the need to dev an ethic to restrain egoism & chaos were accepted & dev by Durkheim

ST SIMON WANTED TO USE THE SCIENCE OF SOCIAL CHANGE TO CONSTRUCT NEW INSTITS & A UTOPIAN SOCIETY

StS was a scientific materialist

Saint Simon believed that utopian ideals, even if carefully worked out in detailed political program, were useless if they did not take account of conditions that determine & mold historical change

Utopian changes which did not take account of historical forces could create a vacuum that would eventually be filled by forces as undesirable as those expelled

New institutions must be adapted to technical, economic, & social requirements of time

While this seems quite sensible to us, most proposals for social change in Saint Simon's time were based on abstract values, ideals, religion, etc.

Saint Simon is one of earliest thinkers to utilize social science

But Saint Simon was also an idealist who embraced what was later called Marxist's historical materialism

The dualism of mind & matter must be eliminated

The beliefs & knowledge of a given period create... religious ideas which... cause changes in history

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Saint Simon
1760 - 1825
Born in Paris as
Claude Henri de Rouvro, changed to
Comte de Saint Simon
SS had an aristocratic background;
His ed was unsystematic
He was self educated, except for some private tutors including
Encyclopedist d’ Alembert
He had visited Rousseau & so was familiar w/ Enlightenment ideas

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Major Works
Letters from an Inhabitant of Geneva
Published a magazine L’Industrie, beginning in 1816
Oeuvres Completes de Saint Simon et Enfantin, 1865-1876

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Saint Simon's Later life

Began a military career at age of 17. Among first to advance a scheme for a canal to join Atlantic & Pacific. While his was a noble family, SS advocated doing away w/ hereditary privileges. He fought w/ distinction in Am Rev. Went to Am in his youth & fought in Rev War. Was wounded in naval battle of Saintes. SS took no active part in Fr Rev of 1789, though he welcomed it. He was 29 at time. Despite subsequent disclaimers, SS was an active supporter of some of measures introduced by Fr Rev, but was ambivalent toward Fr Rev. He believed old systems, Ancient Regime, was doomed & yet was averse to destruction. But he had been more pro revolutionary than he wanted to admit: giving up his title, & presiding at a commune. Although his rev zeal earned him certificates of civic duty, his activities were not wholly disinterested. He bought a low price church & émigré property. He was arrested in 1793, but it was determined that a mistake was made & he was released in a yr. He remained active in politics & participated in peace negotiations w/ English at Lille. In 1814 found an enthusiastic collaborator in future historian Augustin Thierry. Later retired from govt & financial life, & began writing & traveling, esp. to Germany, England, & Switz

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Outline on the Enlightenment & Modernity:
The Tenets of the Enlightenment
circa 1642 - 1789

External
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- Project: The Enlightenment

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- Project: Which Aspects of the Enlightenment are Still Relevant Today?

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- Video: The French Revolution

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- Project: The French Revolution

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There are TWELVE tenets of the Enlightenment

1. "Worship" of Reason	7. Scientific Method
2. Religion Oppresses	8. Rationality Overcomes Emotions
3. Reason is Powerful	9. Universal Rights
4. Nature is Orderly	10. Progress
5. Universal Laws	11. Social Sciences Shepherd Progress
6 Deism	12. Individualism

In the pre enlightenment period religion & nobility ruled the direction of govt, scholarship, & overall treatment of people. This was to change. Great thinkers like Galileo & Newton proposed new ideas that could be seen, measured, & proven w/ evidence. The churches heliocentric view of the universe was challenged. John Locke also championed new ideals of viewing humanity at the individual level. No longer were people to be believed to be born as a finished product, but rather a product of their experiences & influenced by the world in which they grew & developed in (Goodwin, 2008, p. 64).

Four areas where significant change occurred were: 1. Religious: a. Questioning of Catholic beliefs and Protestantism led to tolerance for new ideas. 2. Intellectual: a. Free intellectual inquiry resulted from widespread opposition to religious intolerance. b. The French revolution led to 'age of reason'. c. Educational institutions free of religious allegiance also spread. 3. Economic: a. Industrial revolution, move away from agrarian fiefdoms led to an increasingly wealthy, independent and educated middle class. 4. Political: a. Nation states emerged, ruled by kings and parliaments that only paid lip service to religious rule. b. Parties and factions which have legitimate differences of opinion (Goodwin, 2008, p. 64).

1. WESTERN SOCIETY "WORSHIPS" REASON: SCIENCE ALLOWS US TO EXAMINE EVERYTHING

Western Society elevated reason / science so that it was the organizing principle for life

For some reason displaces religious worship, but for most, it supplements religious worship

The Enlightenment philosophers believed that given the advancement of knowledge, it's only a matter of time until people learned to let reason, not ignorance, emotion, or superstition, guide them and then people/society can would find happiness/harmony

We can know things beyond what holy men tell us

The Enlightenment's embrace of reason & science heralds a new theory of knowledge or epistemology

2. RELIGION CAN OPPRESS

Some could dare say in public: "God is Dead" but most people are still very religious

Religious leaders were accused of keeping people in ignorance in order to maintain their own personal power

The Enlightenment blamed people in authority, esp. the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, for keeping people in ignorance in order to maintain their own personal power

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3. REASON / SCIENCE IS EXTREMELY POWERFUL

Enlightenment thinkers were influenced by discoveries in the physical sciences by such people as Galileo & Newton

For the Enlightenment philosophers, math yielded absolute truth since it was based on simple axioms (self evident truths), and then moved from one self evident step to another

For the Enlightenment philosophers, the mathematical / logical model was the model all the sciences should use

Reason is the power that allows one to “see” mathematical truths just as clearly as one's hand before one's eyes; the senses, however, yield only particular/contingent truths

4. NATURE IS ORDERLY & KNOWABLE

See Also: Saint Simon 1760 - 1825

Saint Simon held that the social sciences should become "the new religion" to unite all & establish modern society

The Chicago school (mid - late 1800s) establish the ideas that the social sciences could shepherd progress

The idea of the social science shepherding progress became fanatical for St. Simon & "a cause" for the Chicago School

The idea that the social sciences could shepherd progress has never been accepted by the public, but has occasionally been accepted by leaders

12. INDIVIDUALISM IS A VALID PHILOSOPHY, A SUPERIOR PHILOSOPHY

The Enlightenment thinkers & the individualist philosophy as developed in this era connotes a different conception of individualism than we might address today in that they were contrasting individualism w/ the conception of the person that existed in traditional society where there was very little credence given to the importance of the common person to act or think on their own

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3. Reason / science is powerful:
Galileo: law of acceleration
Newton: gravity: attraction is proportional to mass

A hand usually has five fingers, but may not always.
Five plus five is always ten

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5. Universal laws for physical & social sciences; even the divine

Even god does not violate physical & social laws
Examples
- gravity
- conservation of matter & energy

There are no real social laws

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Science & Religion
Reason combined w/ observation is how we acquire truth
Truth is good; the good is god/grace
Sustained effort to bring together combination of rational philosophy & empirical philosophy
Bishop Berkeley & David Hume: but senses cannot be trusted, therefore science cannot be trusted: faith in god must be retained
Condillac: combine reasoning & senses, & people are no longer passive, go created active people: discovery is good/holy
Fr came to believe that there was an external order

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Outline on Saint-Simon's View of the Enlightenment

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Saint-Simon (StS) carefully studied the rise of feudalism & the transition from feudalism to capitalism believing that it could offer insights into society's ills & potentials

The rise of feudalism & the transition to capitalism unfolds in several histl eras, including:

- 300s Fall of Roman Empire

- 900s Peak of Feudalism

- post 1000s Decline of Feudalism

In 1789, the Fr Rev also signified the Fall of Feudalism

StS’s histl theory is based upon a single instance of the trans from feudalism to cap

StS recognized the emergence & conflict of classes & the way in which such conflict takes place in new forms of pol orgs & ideology adapted to the interests of a socially & econ dominant class

StS was more sympathetic to old feudalistic order than the Enlightenment thinkers or many of his contemporaries

Indl & scientific forces formed in midst of old sys & as they grew, they eroded old sys & estb a new one

StS recognized that the pre-Enlightenment was not the "Dark Ages"

StS recognized that the "Dark Ages" were not all that dark in that science grew steadily in Euro & rapidly in the mid-east

For StS, the 17th & 18th C's culminated in two major developments, including:

a. the attacks by commoners against the privileges & instits of the elites

b. the Church doctrine, which had performed an imp solidaristic function & now became subjected to a series of unanswerable criticisms

Like the conservatives of his time StS recognized the negativity of Enlightenment

The Enlightenment, w/ an emphasis on equality & nat rights, contributed to disintegration of old, & yet gave no guidance for a new society

During the Fr Rev, the intellectuals joined have-nots

The haves could no longer contain the mvmt & control the have-nots

The rise of the commoners who attacked the elites, & the lack of control of the commoners, are the negative aspects of the Enlightenment

In the post-rev era, a new scientific elite must replace spiritual authority of Church, providing a unified scientific doctrine

The structure of society remains same, w/ intellectuals replacing Church

StS is imploring the propertied class to join intellectuals

For StS the Fr Rev displaced the old social order but offered no new societal structure as an alternative

The causes of the Fr Rev were deep in the changes of hist, & not just one isolated cause

Thus the Fr Rev was necessary & inevitable

But StS criticizes revolutionaries because it is rash to overthrow the old w/ nothing new to put in its place

The Fr Rev stopped midway & did not culminate positively

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Outline on the New Society visa vie Saint Simon

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Saint Simon (StS) wants to create a new, organic, social order

In StS's new society, a scientific techl elite will rule together w/ property owners

For StS, the new society must be:

- international, organic, hierarchical & stable

- ruled by a spiritual & temporal elite

- united by an international religion

- not be based on conflicting principles

StS on society

For StS, in his new society, all people would have to wk & would receive rewards equal to their labor

StS's view is similar to Marx who said, 'From each according to their ability; to each, according to their needs.'

For StS, in his new society, no one would be allowed to inherit large amt's of wealth

For StS, in his new society, all people should start life on an equal basis

What was needed was a new pol sys, based on scientific knowledge & led by a meritocracy of scientists, artists, & industrialists

The science of society would the synthesize knowledge necessary for reorganizing the polity & ending a period of crises

For StS, econ & spiritual dev would lead to the end of exploitation of people by people

StS's class analysis parallels his vision of a new society

StS wanted not the strongest to rule, but most capable & knowledgeable in science & industry

Thus StS advocated a true meritocracy based on social goals

StS advocated a meritocracy based on social goals & not mere econ goals, as is the basis for meritocracy today

The leaders of society were not to dictate orders, but only to declare what conforms to the nature of things

While the old society was ruled by men, the new society should be ruled by principles, the principles of capitalism: although property & inheritance should not run counter to general needs

StS envisions a spiritual & temporal elite in society

The spiritual elite in the new society would be composed of scientists

The temporal elite in the new society would be composed of industrialists

This is an authoritarian society in which a scientific techl elite will rule together w/ property owners

In the new society, the scholars & scientists replace the pre Enlightenment elite

An intl community of scholars & scientists should replace current elite, who in Saint Simon's time were the spiritual elite

StS believed that science is an antidote to nationalism

StS believed there was a professional & occupational solidarity emerging, capable of corroding irrational nationalistic sentiment

The nation state would practically disappear

Class conflict must be mediated

Property must be preserved by the pol sys

A fundamental barrier to rule by the proletariat is a system of ethics which is largely a product of religion

The fundamental problem for StS, Durkheim & others is how to reconcile the structured inequality of mod soc w/ the requirements of social solidarity

Gross inequality would not be allowed

StS recognized that capital, property, & the inheritance system could create inequality

StS wanted to limit inequality

StS never clearly stated how to limit inequality

Inequality remains one of the major problem of mod indl society today

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Chart on the Three Chambers of the New Society

The Chart on the Three Chambers of the New Society shows that society would be structured around 3 spheres that would design & rule society through a combination of religion & science

StS is not a laissez faire economist

StS advocates the rational planning of production

The rational planning of production is to be done by an indl parliament composed of invention, examination, & execution bodies

Today, examples of indl planning can be seen in limited form in some western, capitalist nations, including

- the Ministry of Industry, Trade (MITI) which is found in Japan, & organizes much of their indl production

- the Fed Open Mkt Committee (FOMC) in the US which regulates the money supply, interest rates & thus econ growth

StS was known as a socialist

StS has been dubbed as the founder of socialism

Marx called him a “utopian socialist” meaning that he wrote before indl dev & the contradictions or conflicts which they embodied, esp class conflict btwn the bourgeoisie & proletariat

StS advocated central planning & control by an intellectual elite

StS also advocated non socialist concepts such as property, some inequality, inheritance, & a mkt sys

StS believed the govt / state would wither away in the new society

StS viewed the indl bourgeoisie as displacing the feudal nobility & he was correct here, but he could not fathom the proletariat displacing the bourgeoisie, as Marx explored & advocated

Society would be governed by an educated elite

In a rationally planned soc, there would be little use of force to compel obedience

Govt in the tradl sense would no longer be required

This is a clear anticipation of the Marxist conception of the “withering away of state”

Has govt withered away?

By almost every indicator govt has grown dramatically in the indl world since WW 1

Did the Reagan era reduced govt?

The end of the Cold War slowed military growth in 1st world

The Reagan era may have slowed govt growth

Under the Clinton admin, govt growth was limited, & even reduced in some sectors

Under Bush, Jr., govt has grown dramatically & military spending has grown dramatically

The new society requires the secular equivalent of religion

StS recognized that the poor suffer the most during a downturn

StS advocated the improvement of the lives of the poor

The check on greed & egoism was to be Christian brotherly love

The lot of the poor should be improved for their own sake & also for sake of the social order

There are two ways to keep the poor in check: either create love/respect for the system, or create a system of control & love of the poor; & the latter is more rational

The 'New Christianity'

The New Christianity would cement new social teaching

The mission of the New Christianity would be to uplift or socialize, in the sense of full social participation, the impoverished proletariat.

For StS, god is impersonal, immanent in nature; he is pantheism where spirit & matter are unified

StS's ideas on religion later lead Comte to proclaim himself 'the pope of new positive religion'

Science in the new society will fill the function of religion in the old society

Positive science will take the place of religious dogma, & scientists & industrialists will be new, natural elite

StS hoped the human sciences would become united as had the natural & physical sciences

He saw his dream of unification as fading, but viewed science as a body of verified & estb beliefs that could take the place of religion

StS viewed medieval civilization as an intl order, resting on an intl org, the Church

Spiritual unity created low levels of societal conflict

But a spiritual unity will be needed to avoid conflict, & so the New Christianity, in addition to secular scientists, would be needed

While the utilitarians rely only on self interest to ensure the well being of society, charity, mutual obligation, & philanthropy are also essential

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Chart on the Three Chambers of the New Society

1. Chamber of Invention

Engineers & artists

Engineers propose plans
Artists contribute to
shaping beliefs,
opinions, sentiments

2. Chamber of Examination

Scientists

Critically assess proposals
Control education

3. Chamber of Deputies

Industrialists

Exec branch:
give consideration
to interests of all
members of indl
class: Wkrs & mgrs alike

The Chart on the Three Chambers of the New Society shows that society would be structured around 3 spheres that would design & rule society through a combination of religion & science

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Outline on Auguste Comte
1798 - 1857

External
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- Project: Comte & Saint Simon Today

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- Biography & Major Works

INTRODUCTION: Comte borrowed & did not credit his predecessor, Saint Simon, & never achieved legitimacy in the University. Later in life, became somewhat of a megalomaniac & wanted to establish the "Priesthood of Sociology"

SUMMARY: Comte developed the concepts of
Social statics: forces for stability & cooperation
Social dynamics: forces for conflict & change
Founded positivism & originated the concept & label of soc.
Sought to discover laws that governed evolution of the mind

Comte is known as the Father of Sociology & he coined the term sociology about 150 years ago

Comte coined word sociology, which appeared for the first time in a footnote to the 47th lesson of The Course in Positive Philosophy (1830-1842)

Comte was a French social thinker & philosopher who founded the philosophy of positivism, & originated a concept of social science known as sociology

COMTE WAS ONE OF THE 1st TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS FOR MODERN SOCIETY

Comte's most important idea is his belief that the middle class would be the core of the new society

Comte was conservative: he wanted to preserve the status quo of the middle class, which was just emerging & consolidating

COMTE DEVELOPED POSITIVISM, A SCIENCE FOCUSED ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETY

Comte wanted to know the nature of human society, how it grew, how it developed

Comte's writings reflect a high interest in human knowledge & how people learn

Comte's epistemology is based on the breaking down of reality into hierarchically ordered levels of complexity, i.e. the principle of his classification of sciences, & akin to what has come to be known as general system theory, or systems thinking

Comte embraced & advocated the concept of positivism

Positivism was a reaction to negativism of the Enlightenment

Comte's positive philosophy was a repudiation of the negative philosophy of the Enlightenment & the Fr. Revolution

Durkheim acknowledges Saint Simon's positivism, placing it btwn metaphysics & specialized sciences

Saint Simon developed the ideas of positivism, industrialism, internationalism, & a "new religion" before 1814

Positivism is roundly criticized today as supporting status quo relationships, eschewing social change

COMTE BELIEVED IN THE INEVITABILITY OF SOCIAL EVOLUTION

Each stage in the evolutionary development of society was necessary, & improved social conditions must come about slowly, stage by stage

Later on we see Comte's idea of necessary development in Marx

Comte saw deplorable state of anarchy & hoped "social physics" would bring order out of chaos

Order & progress, which the ancients thought were irreconcilable, must be united

In his six volume work, The Course of Positive Philosophy (1830-1842), he framed his "law of the three states."

In the law of three stages, Comte advanced the idea that people try to understand phenomena in three ways

Comte, from Saint Simon, saw three stages of social development, the theological, the metaphysical, & positivism

a. In the theological stage, actors in society seek a supernatural, non-scientific view

b. In the metaphysical stage, actors in society seek an abstract, non-scientific view that is usually idealistic or logical in terms of causes & principles

c. In the positivism stage, actors in society seek an explanation derived from an objective examination of phenomena

FOR COMTE, SOCIETY EVOLVED ITS MANNER OF THINKING FROM RELIGIOUS, TO METAPHYSICAL, TO SCIENTIFIC

Comte believed that people first seek a theological or supernatural explanation; then a metaphysical or abstract explanation; & finally a positive explanation

The positive explanation is derived from an objective examination of the phenomena

Comte believed that students should concern themselves only w/ phenomena that have an objective, "positive," existence

This belief forms a basis of positivism

While the term positivism is still in use today, synonyms for positivism might include science or modernity

Comte is an important contributor to our understanding of the concept altruism

According to his theory, innate benevolent, "altruistic" drives co exist w/ egoistic instincts w/in our affective brain

Comte's view of altruism is still valid today in that social scientists understand that a concern beyond one's self, a concern for the group, i.e. altruism, is beneficial for the self, because the altruism may be returned, & because it is beneficial for the group / society

Comte's views on altruism gave him the basis he needed for the construction of the science of ethics he had been anticipating since his youth, a science he made in 1852, the seventh in his scientific classification system

FOR COMTE, SOCIAL CHANGE IS A MIXING OF THE OLD & THE NEW, & HAD HISTLY DEMONSTRATED 'PROGRESS'

For Comte, every stage has two factions including the old order & the new order

Comte was know for his conception of the ideas of social statics & social dynamics

For Comte, social statics are forces for stability & cooperation

For Comte, social dynamics are forces for both conflict & change

Comte, like Saint Simon, appreciated feudal theological order because feudal theological order facilitated development of new order

Comte believed it was impossible to return to feudalism. (Bonald believed that it was possible)

Comte saw the development of society as the synthesis of opposing ideas through which order & progress must be achieved

For Comte, science & industry are the main causes of decline of feudal theological order

For Comte, the industrial spirit prevents recurrence of the feudal military spirit

Comte sought to discover the laws that he believed governed the evolution of the mind

Comte believed that the progress of each stage in the dev of society is inevitable & irreversible

The inevitability of progress was embraced by the Enlightenment thinkers, & many people today, but it is roundly rejected by the post modernists

Comte believed that the liberty of conscience was dogma; but it was valuable against theological dogmatism, but can never be a positive organic principle

FOR COMTE, SOCIETY SHOULD BE 'MANAGED' BY THE SCIENTISTS, INDLISTS, &
RELIGIOUS LEADERS BECAUSE THE LOWER CLASSES WERE DANGEROUS / CHAOTIC

Just as physical scientists would never allow lay people to question their operations, social scientists should never allow people to question social physics

Thus, the sovereignty of the people is also negative

An emphasis on material considerations ( economic ) was dangerous because it roused lower classes

Private property brings certain evils, but remedy arises from opinions, customs & manners, not political regulations

For Comte, the major need in society is not to change existing institutions, but rather morality, which included acquiescence of lower classes

People need to cooperate, to submit to the authoritarianism of the social scientists

Comte found that people need to work & grow together to be happy & successful

Like members of an athletic team pooling their energies, people must cooperate to build effective relationships

Comte saw a great need for universal education to bring people together in peace & harmony, not merely to develop the intellect

Comte regarded all social thought as an interrelated whole, the laws of which can be found by assembling what he considered the facts

Comte's ideas have influenced students of historical & social theory, & of criminology, & such authors as Herbert Spencer & John Stuart Mill, who were seeking a "science of society"

In politics, Comte's strict advocacy of separating the spiritual, which in his view included the moral aspects of medicine, science, education, the arts, etc., from the temporal (i.e., the political power) makes him an advocate of anti totalitarianism

Comte assigns the highest priority to the problem of "incorporating the proletariat into modern society"

Comte describes the proletariat "merely encamped outside the city gates" & he believes it is necessary to 'bring them into society'

Many of Comte's disciples played a major part in the labor mvmt of the time & in the constitution of modern trade unionism; for example, the First International was convened in London in 1863 under the chairmanship of a positivist, Edward Spencer Beesly

Comte believed that women would play an important role in future & declared that "the feminine revolution must now complete the proletarian revolution"

While Comte did believe the commoners must be educated, moralized, etc. & brought into society, he assigns a fundamental regulatory function to public opinion

The role of religion would still be central in Comte's vision of society & he advocated the mutual respect of all religions, and announces their final convergence into a global Religion of Humanity, which is one of the great precursors of ecumenism

For Comte, in the final analysis, there would be, could be, no contradictions btwn science & religion

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Auguste Comte
1798 - 1857
a Frenchman, spent many years studying society

Saint Simon & Comte 1814 found an enthusiastic collaborator
     in future historian Augustin Thierry
Published a magazine L’Industrie, beginning in 1816
Next year his association w/ Thierry ended & he began work w/ Auguste Comte.
Comte later systematized Saint Simon's work
Comte began as Saint Simon's secretary,
    & while Saint Simon used term ‘social physiology,’
    Comte coined term, sociology
Saint Simon & Comte & broke off a year before Saint Simon's death in 1824
Ultimately Comte "borrowed" many of Saint Simon's ideas & did not credit him
It is now recognized that Comte claimed many of Saint Simon's ideas for his own
Later Thierry & Comte viewed these as their own ideas.

Saint Simon's ideas of science fulfilling the role of religion
later lead Comte to proclaim himself pope of new positive religion

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Major Works of Comte

L’Industrie

Auguste Comte is mostly known as the creator of the science of sociology, the foundations of which he laid in his two main treatises, The Course in Positive Philosophy (1830-1842) and The System of
Positive Policy (1851-1854).

The End

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