Auguste Comte

Auguste Comte is a French sociologist who lived in the 18th and 19th centuries. He was influenced by Saint Simon. He composed the word ‘sociology’. He is also a mathematician. He thinks that mathematics generated astrology, astrology generated physic, physic generated chemistry and chemistry generated biology. He utilized all these natural sciences and he elaborated that Sociology is a positive science. Positive thinking also applies in the natural sciences. The world was in a huge development because of the Industrial Revolution and French Revolution and also because of improvement in natural sciences. While this development was happening, there were problems in the social structure and economy that only those who speak publicly such as politicians could fix. Comte wanted to find the core of improvement in natural sciences and use this core to solve society’s problems. To synthesize all information about the society, Comte passed his Law of Three States. According to this states, knowledge completes its development by passing through its mandatory stages, evolving into the final State, which it calls scientific knowledge; into the positivist stage. These states are; Theological State, Metaphysical State, and Positivist State. People thought everything was because of God and they did not explain the existence by their mind in the Theological State. Humanity is like childhood in this state. Metaphysical State is like the youth of humanity. Abstract thoughts like reason and core are dominated in this state. Abstract attitudes are the cause of the facts. Humans have some rights and these rights must be respected because they are the most important values. In the Positivist State, which is the last state, human thought ceases to seek the absolute truth. Science is the dominant and positive perspective on this state. Humans are concerned with what is real, not what is right. Science is the only guide.