Chapter Outline

I. Auguste Comte's Profound Ambitions

A. Positivism: The Search for Invariant Laws

B. Law of the Three Stages

1. Theological Stage

2. Metaphysical Stage

3. Positivist Stage

C. Positivism: The Search for Order and Progress

D. Biographical Sketch

II. Comte's Sociology

A. Social Statics

1. The Individual in Comte's Theory

2. Collective Phenomena

B. Social Dynamics

1. History

III. Theory and Practice

A. Who Will Support Positivism?

1. The Working Class

2. Women

3. Thoughts, Feelings, and Action

IV. Comte's Plans for the Future

V. Comte: A Critical Assessment

A. Positive Contributions

B. Basic Weaknesses in Comte's Theory

VI. Summary