welcome to e part Sala I'm dr. Vishal Jadhav associate professor Department of Sociology Dilek Maharashtra with debate Pune today we are going to look at a module called positivism of st. of Simon and Auguste Comte which comes under the paper titled classical sociological theory by now we are quite familiar with how the Renaissance period and the Enlightenment period and later the Industrial Revolution that emerged in Europe especially Western Europe influenced thoughts philosophical thoughts and also influenced the way that society was imagined in imagining the society one of the events that led to the emergence of sociology was the development of an epistemological and ontological tool called positivism in this particular module will assess how positivism is closely associated with science and rationality and with the whole idea of deductive kind of logic positivism is a family of philosophical views characterized by a highly favorable account of science and what is considered as being the scientific method as such the position is somewhat circular because according to most versions of positivism there is an identifiable scientific method that is generally understood to be unitary and positivistic in nature but all three of these claims that there is an identifiable and specifiable scientific method that there is just one such method and that is positivistic our tendentious and now highly disputed nevertheless positivism came to be designated a philosophical movement that became powerful in all Western countries towards the end of the 19th century and well into the first half of the 20th century more ever positivists attempted to import the method of science into philosophy so that philosophy should become scientific the other important characteristic of positivism was the attempt to eliminate any metaphysical component from philosophy in the words of Nikola Bango that characteristic theses of positivism are that Sciences are the only valid knowledge and facts the only possible objects of knowledge that philosophy does not possess a method different from science and that the task of philosophy is to find the general principles common to all sciences and to use these principles as guides the human conduct and as the basis of social organization positivism consequently denies the existence or intelligibility of forces of substances that go beyond facts and that the laws asserted by science it opposes any kind of metaphysics and in general any procedure of investigation that is not reducible to scientific method important contributors to positivism positivism finds its roots in the work of British philosopher Francis Bacon and other British Emperor says John Locke Berkeley and especially David Hume in the 19th century the British latarian theorist Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill also espoused positivism the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century can be considered as being the cultural background for positivism and after which the accompanying OTT optimism that technology in science would bring brought about social progress and science and the method of science was the source or ground of genuine knowledge the terms positivism and positive philosophy were introduced by the French philosopher Claude Henry sends him on as a reference to a scientific approach for the world for st. Simon the implications of this extended to social political educational and religious affairs he had the goal of bringing about reforms in each of those areas French philosopher Auguste calm for seven years a student and collaborator of st. Simon popularized and systematized the term positivism and positive philosophy Comte argued that societies progressed from a theological state or metaphysical one and then to a scientific stage where in the positivist scientific outlook and methods are dominant Auguste Comte is also widely regarded as being the first true sociologist Argentine philosopher Alexandre corn applied positivism in Argentina holding the d'argent eye on experience after independence represented an Argentinian positivism Brazil's national motto order and progress is based on Auguste comte's positivism which was also influential in Poland harnest mac was considered as the most influential positivist in the later part of the 19th century max positivism in science became one of the two main influences and the members of the Vienna circle and on what became logical positivism by far the strongest and the most influential development of positivism in Western philosophy came within the vienna circle and the idea of the logical positivism also known as logical empiricism they combined the positivism they had learned primarily from mark with powerful logic that had been developed by Gottlob Frege to create a positivism that was expressed in logical form this became so dominant that today when the term positivism is used it usually means logical positivism saint-simon offered referred to as henri de saint-simon was a french social theorist and the founder of french socialism in the wake of the french revolution saint-simon proposed an innovative and positive reorganization of society controlled by the chiefs of industry with scientists in the role of priests the aim of the society would be to produce things useful to life and peace would be assured by universal Association Saint Simons idea of a science of society influenced the development of sociology and economics as fields of scientific study Saint Simons vision influenced French and European society throughout the nineteenth century his major work Nauvoo Christiana may announced that the world had arrived and the crisis predicted by the old testament which was to end in the establishment of a truly universal religion the adoption by all nations of a Pacific social organization and the speedy betterment of the conditions of the poor st. Simon attempted to clear away the dogma which had developed in Catholicism and Protestantism and to reduced Christianity to it's simple and essential elements st. Simon proposed as the precept of the new Christianity that the whole of society ought to strive towards a melody ation of moral and physical existence of the poorest classes society ought to organize itself in the best way adapted by attaining this end st. Simons new Christianity was a vision of a society that practiced the teachings of Jesus by devoting itself to the betterment of its least fortunate members st. Simon rejected many of the doctrines and rituals which had been developed by Christian churches and returned to the world of Jesus in the New Testament he developed a concept in which the state owned and administered the means of production for the benefit of all later thinkers took these concepts in two directions Christian socialism and atheistic communism he remained in France during the French Revolution and brought up newly nationalized land with funds borrowed from a friend during the reign of terror he was imprisoned in pillai de luxembourg and emerged extremely wealthy because the value of revolutionary currency had depreciated Saint Simon lived a life of luxury entertaining prominent people from all walks of life and his lavish and glittering salons within several years he was on the point of bankruptcy and began to study signs taking course that they call Polytechnic and acquainting himself with distinguished scientists his first published work letters of an inhabitant of Geneva to his contemporaries proposed that scientists should replace priests in the social order and property owners who held political power could only hope to maintain themselves against property less if the subsidized the advantage of knowledge as a thinker st. Simon was not particularly systematic however his influence in modern society though thought is undeniable both as historic founder of a French socialism and as the originator of many new ideas that were later elaborated into Comte ISM in 1817 he began to propagate his socialistic views in the treatise called lay industry which he further developed in law organization er a periodical on which Augustine theory and Auguste Comte collaborated with the idea of st. Simon for reconstruction of society were conditioned by the French Revolution and by the feudal and military system still prevalent in France in reaction to the destructive liberalism of the Revolution he insisted on the necessity of a new and positive reorganization of society and went so far as to appeal to louis xviii of france to initiate a new social order in opposition however to the military and feudal system which had been strengthened by restoration st. simon advocated an arrangement whereby the initial chief should control society men of science should be the ones providing spiritual guidance to society rather than the church new Christianity st. Simons positivist and scientific studies directed him to found a purely practical and demonstrably moral code within a sentimental and mystical tendencies led him to understand the need for a religion he believed that Christianity had what advanced human morality but he thought that the reign of Christianity was coming to an end his religious tendencies became gradually stronger until he announced that the world had arrived at the crisis predicted by the Old Testament which was to end in the establishment of a truly Universal religion the adoption of all nations of the Pacific social organization and the speedy betterment of the conditions of the poor Saint Simon had not concerned himself with theology previously to the writing of the new Christianity he began with the belief in God and set out to reduce Christianity it's as simple and essential elements he cleared away the dogmas and excesses and defects which had developed in Catholic and Protestant interpretations of Christianity now we discussed the second thinker August come August call was a French thinker known as the father of sociology he developed a sociology called positivism in which she described human society as having developed through three stages the third of which he called the positive stage dominated by scientific thought he was the first to apply the scientific method to the social world and coined the term sociology to define the scientific study of human society it was his hope and through such endeavors an understanding of human society could be achieved that would enable humankind to progress to a higher level and which entire human race could function together as one he also coined the term altruism advocating that people should live for the sake of others although Auguste cons work appeared to regard human intellect as the most important in the developing of the new social order his later work he embraced the concept of love as bringing the solution to all human problems auguste comte is famous for his grand universal laws his aim was to create a science of society explaining both the historical development and the future direction of humankind he regarded the study of human society as proceeding in the same way as a study of nature thus he attempted to discover the laws by which human society maintains itself and progresses positivism is selasa fee that Auguste Comte further developed the only authentic knowledge according to him is scientific knowledge and that such knowledge can only come from positive affirmation of theories through strict scientific method Comte is also known to have said men are not allowed to think freely about chemistry and biology why should they be allowed to think freely about political philosophy Conn's positivism should not be confused with logical positivism which originated in Vienna circle in 1920s logical positivism is a school of philosophy that combines positivism which states that the only authentic knowledge is scientific knowledge that the notion that some propositional knowledge can be had without or prior to experience method of inquiry calm believed that social scientists should use the same method which proved successful in the National Sciences observation experimentation and comparison and the historical method calm believed all observations had to be connected to the preliminary theories otherwise observers would not know what they were looking at the three stages of Auguste Comte Auguste Comte believed that human history had transformed itself in three stages thus calm stated that each department of knowledge passes through these three stages these three stages are Theological the metaphysical and the positive or the scientific the theological was a phase was seen from the perspective of the 19th century France as preceding the Enlightenment in which the humans police in society and society's restriction upon humans were referenced to God calm believe that all primitive societies went through some period in which life is completely Thea centric in such society the family is the prototypical social unit and priests and military leaders hold sway most of these societies moved to the metaphysical phase in the metaphysical phase Kampf was not referring to the metaphysics of Aristotle or to the Greek philosophy for calm metaphysics was rooted in the problem of French society before the Revolution of 1789 according to him this metaphysical phase involved the justification of universal rights as being on a higher plane than the authority of any human ruler to counter man although said rights were not referenced to the sacred beyond me a metaphor here come as seems to have been an influence for later Max Weber's theory of democracy in which societies progress towards freedom the final stage of scientific or positive stage came being after the failure of the revolution of Napoleon the purpose of this phase was for people to find solutions to social problems and bring them into force despite the proclamations of human rights or prophecy of the will of the god this regard is similar to Karl Marx and Jeremy Bentham for its time this idea of a scientific phase was considered progressive although from a contemporary standpoint it appears derivative of classical physics and academics history pom gave the name positive to the last of these because of the policy Muskaan notation of the word positive can refer both to sometimes definite and to something beneficial come believed that this law of three stages to be applicable to societies across the world and throughout time he regarded the transition from one stage to another to be more of a crisis than a smooth cumulative process social statics and dynamics formed the difference between the periods of harmony and social stability compared to those of progress and social development was similar to the distinction in biology between anatomy and physiology thus he regarded social stability and social progress as correlative aspects of the same system all the calm approached human societies analogous to biological organism he was aware of the differences who allows society to function as a unit like an organism auguste comte ascribed the functions of connection and boundaries to the social structures of language religion and division of labor division of labor creates in each person a sense of dependence on the other as parts of the whole society normative doctrine auguste comte envisioned an ideal society in which positivism and sociology reigned supreme and sociological scientific priests would rule on the basis of reason later in his life Auguste Comte saw himself as a prophet of the new religion this new order of human society he believed would have loved as principle order as his basis and progress as its aim he also coined the term altruism because he believed that moral obligations of individuals to serve others would take place in this last positivist phase to conclude then we have seen how positivism as a philosophy and epistemology emerged in Europe in the early part of the 19th century and how sociology as a discipline was seen akin to social physics by Auguste Comte and how he visualized sociology being a discipline that could objectively capture human relations and phenomena that were in practice in human society this positivism was also later developed by imide Durkheim who looked at how social facts can be used as empirical categories to understand how social life and social fabric actually existed these social facts were nothing but external structures that are foisted themselves upon individuals and these individuals had to internalize these larger normative orders