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Social Theorist

Auguste Comte

oh-GUEST kont (French)
Also Known As Isidore Marie Auguste Francois Xavier Comte (full birth name)
Sociology

The French philosopher regarded as the founder of sociology, who coined the term in 1838 by joining the Latin socius, meaning companion, with the Greek logia, meaning the study of, and argued that society could be understood through scientific method rather than speculation.

Facts
Birth DateSourced to the subject's own account
1798-01-19 1
Birth YearSourced to the subject's own account
1798 1
Death DateSourced to the subject's own account
1857-09-05 1
Death YearSourced to the subject's own account
1857 1
BirthplaceSourced to the subject's own account
Montpellier, France 1
Death PlaceSourced to the subject's own account
Paris, France 1
Nationality / CultureSourced to the subject's own account
French 1
Defining ContributionSourced to the subject's own account
Founded positivism and coined the term sociology, treating it as the crowning achievement of the sciences. 1
Notable WorkSourced to the subject's own account
System of Positive Polity (1851-1854) 1
Notable WorkSourced to the subject's own account
The Course in Positive Philosophy (1830-1842) 1
Connections

Institutions Informed

Harriet Martineau, Social Theorists

Martineau condensed English translation of Comte Cours de philosophie positive introduced positivism to the English-speaking world and shaped her own sociological method.

Lester Frank Ward, Social Theorists

Ward vision of sociology as a positive science directed toward social improvement drew directly on Comte positivist program.

Theories Developed

Source Wikipedia: Auguste Comte
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Auguste Comte
Wikipedia
  • Lead infobox
    19 January 1798 - 5 September 1857
  • Death section
    Comte died in Paris on 5 September 1857 from stomach cancer
  • Lead section
    He formulated the doctrine of positivism
  • Legacy section
    Comte's ideas were fundamental to the development of sociology, as he coined the term and treated the discipline as the crowning achievement of the sciences.
View the Source
Social Sci LibreTexts, The History of Sociology
LibreTexts (Solano Community College)1.2 The History of Sociology, Early Thinkers and Comte
Quote, 1.2 The History of Sociology, Early Thinkers and Comte
He coined the term sociology in 1838 by combining the Latin term socius (companion, associate) and the Greek term logia (study of, speech).
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