Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- CHAPTER I NECESSITY AND OPPORTUNENESS OF THIS NEW SCIENCE
- CHAPTER II PRINCIPAL PHILOSOPHICAL ATTEMPTS TO CONSTITUTE A SOCIAL SCIENCE
- CHAPTER III CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POSITIVE METHOD IN ITS APPLICATION TO SOCIAL PHENOMENA
- CHAPTER IV RELATION OF SOCIOLOGY TO THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY
- CHAPTER V SOCIAL STATICS, OR THEORY OF THE SPONTANEOUS ORDER OF HUMAN SOCIETY
- CHAPTER VI SOCIAL DYNAMICS; OR THEORY OF THE NATURAL PROGRESS OF HUMAN SOCIETY
- CHAPTER VII PREPARATION OF THE HISTORICAL QUESTION.—FIRST THEOLOGICAL PHASE: FETICHISM.—BEGINNING OF THE THEOLOGICAL AND MILITARY SYSTEM
- CHAPTER VIII SECOND PHASE: POLYTHEISM.—DEVELOPMENT OF THE THEOLOGICAL AND MILITARY SYSTEM
- CHAPTER IX AGE OF MONOTHEISM.—MODIFICATION OF THE THEOLOGICAL AND MILITARY SYSTEM
- CHAPTER X METAPHYSICAL STATE, AND CRITICAL PERIOD OF MODERN SOCIETY
- CHAPTER XI RISE OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE POSITIVE STATE.—PREPARATION FOR SOCIAL REORGANIZATION
- CHAPTER XII REVIEW OF THE REVOLUTIONARY CRISIS.—ASCERTAINMENT OF THE FINAL TENDENCY OF MODERN SOCIETY
- CHAPTER XIII FINAL ESTIMATE OF THE POSITIVE METHOD
- CHAPTER XIV ESTIMATE OF THE RESULTS OF POSITIVE DOCTRINE IN ITS PREPARATORY STAGE
- CHAPTER XV ESTIMATE OF THE FINAL ACTION OF THE POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY
CHAPTER V - SOCIAL STATICS, OR THEORY OF THE SPONTANEOUS ORDER OF HUMAN SOCIETY
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 August 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- CHAPTER I NECESSITY AND OPPORTUNENESS OF THIS NEW SCIENCE
- CHAPTER II PRINCIPAL PHILOSOPHICAL ATTEMPTS TO CONSTITUTE A SOCIAL SCIENCE
- CHAPTER III CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POSITIVE METHOD IN ITS APPLICATION TO SOCIAL PHENOMENA
- CHAPTER IV RELATION OF SOCIOLOGY TO THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY
- CHAPTER V SOCIAL STATICS, OR THEORY OF THE SPONTANEOUS ORDER OF HUMAN SOCIETY
- CHAPTER VI SOCIAL DYNAMICS; OR THEORY OF THE NATURAL PROGRESS OF HUMAN SOCIETY
- CHAPTER VII PREPARATION OF THE HISTORICAL QUESTION.—FIRST THEOLOGICAL PHASE: FETICHISM.—BEGINNING OF THE THEOLOGICAL AND MILITARY SYSTEM
- CHAPTER VIII SECOND PHASE: POLYTHEISM.—DEVELOPMENT OF THE THEOLOGICAL AND MILITARY SYSTEM
- CHAPTER IX AGE OF MONOTHEISM.—MODIFICATION OF THE THEOLOGICAL AND MILITARY SYSTEM
- CHAPTER X METAPHYSICAL STATE, AND CRITICAL PERIOD OF MODERN SOCIETY
- CHAPTER XI RISE OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE POSITIVE STATE.—PREPARATION FOR SOCIAL REORGANIZATION
- CHAPTER XII REVIEW OF THE REVOLUTIONARY CRISIS.—ASCERTAINMENT OF THE FINAL TENDENCY OF MODERN SOCIETY
- CHAPTER XIII FINAL ESTIMATE OF THE POSITIVE METHOD
- CHAPTER XIV ESTIMATE OF THE RESULTS OF POSITIVE DOCTRINE IN ITS PREPARATORY STAGE
- CHAPTER XV ESTIMATE OF THE FINAL ACTION OF THE POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY
Summary
Though the dynamical part of Social Science is the most interesting, the most easily intelligible, and the fittest to disclose the laws of interconnection, still the Statical part must not be entirely passed over. We must briefly review in this place the conditions and laws of harmony of human society, and complete our statical conceptions, as far as the nascent state of the science allows, when we afterwards suryey the historical development of humanity.
Three Aspects.
Every sociological analysis supposes three classes of considerations, each more complex than the preceding: viz., the conditions of social existence of the individual, the family, and society; the last comprehending, in a scientific sense, the whole of the human species, and chiefly, the whole of the white race.
The Individual.
Gall's cerebral theory has destroyed for ever the metaphysical fancies of the last century about the origin of Man's social tendencies, which are now proved to be inherent in his nature, and not the result of utilitarian considerations. The true theory has exploded the mistakes through which the false doctrine arose,—the fanciful supposition that intellectual combinations govern the general conduct of human life, and the exaggerated notion of the degree in which wants can create faculties. Independently of the guidance afforded by Gall's theory, there is a conclusive evidence against the utilitarian origin of society in the fact that the utility did not, and could not, manifest itself till after a long preparatory development of the society which it was supposed to have created.
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- The Positive Philosophy of Auguste Comte , pp. 127 - 148Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009First published in: 1853
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