Significance Of Auguste Comte's Positivism

Relevance of Comte’s Positivism

Zatil Amiza Shahira Bt Mohd Suhaimi (1514998)

Course Code: SOCA 2010

Course Title: Sociological Theory 1

Section: 1

Semester 2, 2015/2016

INTRODUCTION

Positivism is a philosophical theory that positive knowledge is based on natural phenomena to their properties and relations. Positivism also holds that society like the physical world operates according to general laws. The modern sense of the approach was formulated by the philosopher Auguste Comte in the early 19th century. Comte argued that the physical world operates according to gravity and other absolute laws. Auguste Comte (1798–1857) is regarded as one of the founders of modern sociology. He coined the term sociologie, derived from the Latin wordssocius

There are three stages in positivism which is theological, metaphysical and positive. In theological theory, super natural forces were the object of worship and God was everything. But in scientific religion, God is replaced by humanity. Humanity will be worshipped. Humanity consists of all those who are dead and who are living and who would be born in future. Positive knowledge is based on experience and considers only real phenomena. Comte did not deny the existence of unknown, but positivism was no way concerned with the supernatural. The theological phase deals with humankind's accepting the doctrines of the church (or place of worship) rather than relying on its rational powers to explore basic questions about existence. It dealt with the restrictions put in place by the religious organization at the time and the total acceptance of any "fact" adduced for society to

The Positivity stage, also known as the scientific stage, refers to scientific explanation based on observation, experiment, and comparison. Positive explanations rely upon a distinct method, the scientific method, for their justification. The positive stage represents the scientific way of thinking. Positive thought ushers in an industrial age. The positive or scientific knowledge is based upon facts and these facts are gathered by observation and experience. All phenomena are seen as subject to natural laws that can be investigated by observations and experimentation. This is the ultimate stage in a series of successive transformations. The new system is built upon the destruction of the old; with evolution, come progress and emancipation of human mind. Human history is the history of a single man, Comte, because the progress of the man mind gives unity to the entire history of society. For Comte, all knowledge is inescapably human knowledge; a systematic ordering of propositions concerning our human experience of the