→ A Summary of Ideas Comte's aim was to create a naturalistic science of society, which would both explain the past development of mankind and predict its future course. The study of social dynamics and social statics-of change and stability--are the twin pillars of his systems 2021/221
2021/2/21 11 A Summary of Ideas • Comte's aim was to create a naturalistic science of society, which would both explain the past development of mankind and predict its future course. The study of social dynamics and social statics--of change and stability--are the twin pillars of his systems
.. Natural science, Comte argued, had succeeded in establishing the lawfulness of natural phenomena the new science relied on "reasoning and observation, duly combined"as the only legitimate means of attaining knowledge 2021/221
2021/2/21 12 • Natural science, Comte argued, had succeeded in establishing the lawfulness of natural phenomena. • the new science relied on "reasoning and observation, duly combined" as the only legitimate means of attaining knowledge
Every scientific theory must be based on observed facts, but it is equally true that facts cannot be observed without the guidance of some theory 2021/221 13
2021/2/21 13 • Every scientific theory must be based on observed facts, but it is equally true that "facts cannot be observed without the guidance of some theory
The new social sciences that Comte sought to establish he first called"social physicS; Later, he changed it into "sociology It was to be patterned after the natural sciences, not only in its empirical methods and epistemological underpinnings, but also in the functions it would serve for mankind 2021/221
2021/2/21 14 • The new social sciences that Comte sought to establish he first called "social physics;“ Later, he changed it into “sociology”. • It was to be patterned after the natural sciences, not only in its empirical methods and epistemological underpinnings, but also in the functions it would serve for mankind
Far from being of theoretical interest alone e the social sciences like the natural sciences, must ultimately be of concrete benefit to man and play a major part in the amelioration of the human condition 2021/221 15
2021/2/21 15 • Far from being of theoretical interest alone, the social sciences, like the natural sciences, must ultimately be of concrete benefit to man and play a major part in the amelioration of the human condition