Mudabicara.com_ For those who study philosophy and social science, the name Auguste Comte is familiar. In addition to being one of the early initiators of sociology, Comte’s name is also listed as one of the early figures of the philosophy of positivism.
Many writings were born from his mind, two of which are well known, entitled Course of Positive Philosophy and System of Positive Politics. This time, we will discuss more deeply about the second work, namely System of Positive Politics. For more, see the review below:
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Glimpse of Auguste Comte’s First Works
Auguste Comte is a figure who emerged in the middle of the French Revolution. After the French Revolution, there were significant social changes in society.
Some social changes such as the emergence of class struggles and economic conflicts. This made Auguste Comte worried as well as the background for the birth of his first work Course of Positive Philosophy. This work was published between 1830 and 1842.
In his work Auguste Comte envisioned a study of the social sciences based on the scientific method and independent. He tried to find a science that could analyze social phenomena which he later called sociology.
For him, the natural development of the science of society is a logical form of intellectual progress. In his book Course of Positive Philosophy Auguste provides an explanation of the theory of three stages in social change in society.
This theory is Auguste Comte’s way of explaining the evolutionary progress of humans from primitive to advanced civilizations like the events of the French Revolution. He tries to show that there are stages that human civilization goes through to achieve progress.
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Three Stage Legal Theory
Theological Stage
At the theological stage, people believe things that don’t make sense. People believe in supernatural powers.
There are several understandings that developed at this stage such as fetishism, animism, dynamism, polytheism and monotheism. Fetishism is the idea that people believe things have power. Animism is a belief in which people worship the spirits of those who have died.
Dynamism is people’s belief in certain items that are believed to have power. Polytheism is a belief that there is a force that governs nature. Finally, monotheism is the belief that there is a single power.
Metaphysical Stage
At the metaphysical stage, people believe in metaphysical forces. This stage is a transition from the theological stage to the positive stage.
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People began to research natural phenomena but they had to make sense of the mind. In principle, young will have become a medium to achieve knowledge even though there is a little abstraction spice.
Positivism Stage
At the stage of positivism, people think rationally as well as truth, even though it is determined by theoretical observations.
The Course of Positive Philosophy seems to be an explanation of the philosophical evolution of human science. That all truths must be able to be proven empirically, rationally and scientifically.
System of Positive Politics
System of Positive Politics is a continuation of the Course of Positive Philosophy . This work of writing was born in the range of 1851 to 1854.
Background of his birth, none other than Auguste Comte was in love with a woman named Clothilde de Vaux. But unfortunately Comte’s love for his idol was one sided.
A woman poet who was also an admirer of Comte’s thoughts, thought that her relationship with Comte was mediocre and nothing special. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before Clotilde fell ill with tuberculosis which took her last breath.
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This incident made the Comte sad, hurt and disappointed. Then he promised to dedicate his life to writing in memory of his idol Clotilde de Vaux.
Protracted grief made Comte an unstable person. When he published his System of Positive Politics, he felt like a prophet of what he called the religion of humanity . Romance became the most influential fuel in the work of System of Positive Politics.
The System of Positive Politics is the final formulation of his sociology. In this work Comte emphasized morality and moral progress as the main concerns of knowledge. On the other hand he also tried to provide an explanation of government, social society and politics.
System of Positive Politics is more or less a form of celebration of his love for Clotilde. That’s because his statement about human power in life is feeling, not thought and method. In addition, this work contains strategies for implementing the praxis of positive philosophy on the Course of Positive Philosophy.
Comte encouraged the reorganization of society based on the religion of humanity. For him, the religion of humanity will be the main source of human feelings. Feelings will turn love and selfishness into altruism based not on supernaturalistic standards but on intellectual positivism standards.
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Kritik Terhadap System of Positive Politics
Comte’s shift in thinking made intellectuals think Comte was insane. For example, John Stuart Mill, a British thinker who initially admired his writings on positivism, turned to hate him.
Intellectuals saw Comte’s explanation of positivism in his System of Positive Politics at odds with the ideas of positivism which he wrote in his Course of Positive Philosophy.
For example in the Course , Comte said that science was transformed into philosophy while in the System, philosophy was transformed into religion.
This makes the readers think that Comte’s thoughts in the System of Positive Politics are boring and disgusting and are contrary to the principle of progress of the human mind.
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Despite criticism from many, Comte continued his intellectual work. He believes that his work will help people in the future to find happiness. Even Comte declared himself the founder of the Religion of Humanity who would provide detailed directions to humanism.
In his 1989 book Johnson Paul Doyle entitled Sociological Theory argues that Comte’s humanist religion is a utopian idea to reorganize society completely.
Sociology for Johnson Paul Doyle is a science that studies society comprehensively so that it will create order and social progress. Paul Doyle denied that the moral system would unite all people and ensure social order for future progress.
Although there are pros and cons to the work System of Positive Politics, Auguste Comte’s contribution to science, especially the social sciences of sociology, is very large.
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The roots of social science which must have a scientific method based on empirical, rational and scientific observations are one of the proofs of the results of its struggle in the world of intellectualism.