Auguste Comtes Law of Three Stages Auguste Comtes

Auguste Comte’s Law of Three Stages

Auguste Comte’s main contribution in the field of sociological thought is theory of ‘Law of three stages’. Charles Darwin’s ‘theory of organic evolution’ had an impact on Comte’s law of three stages. Comte analysed the evolution of human thinking and it’s various stages which presumes gradual evolution and development in human thinking which is known as the law of three stages of thinking.

He elaborated the law of three stages of human thought namely theological, metaphysical and positive. According to him it characterised the development of both human knowledge and society which developed from military to legal and finally to industrial stage. According to Comte the evolution of human mind has paralled the evolution of individual mind. He believed that each field of knowledge passes through three periods of growth namely: First Stage : Theological or fictitious stage Second stage : Metaphysical or Abstract stage Third Stage : Positive or Scientific Stage

Theological Stage In the primitive society people used to think in supernatural terms. They believed that everything is produced by immediate action of supernatural beings. They believed in supernatural powers due to which fetishism as a religion emerged. They did not believe in priesthood but in human made object that has power over others. As many fetishes started coming up they got confused and started believing in several gods, due to which Polytheism emerged. They created the class of priests to get the goodwill and the blessings of these gods. As there were many gods they arranged them in hierarchy. Finally they came to the idea of one god or monotheism. Monotheism is the climax of theological stage of thinking which was suited to the military society.

Metaphysical Stage Its an extension of theological thinking. Instead of imagination rationalism started growing. Pure reasoning states that God is an abstract being. Principles and theories gained ascendency over feeling and speculations. This type of thinking corresponded with legal type of society.

Positive stage This is the stage of scientific way of thinking. Comte stated “In the final, the positive stage, the mind has given destination of the universe, and the causes phenomena and applies it self to the study of their laws i. e. their invariable relations of succession and resemblance. ” He even said that if it is futile to try to determine causes “We can observe uniformities or laws, but it is mere speculation to assign cause of these uniformities. ” Comte’s Positivism is an intellectual way of looking at the world. He stressed the need for observation and classification of phenomena. The positive thinking suits the needs of the industrial society.

Stages of social organisation and progress Comte not only identified Law of three stages in human thinking but also observed it in the development of society or social organization. Each stages corresponds to a type of social organisation. This is his major contribution to social thought. According to Comte theological thinking leads to a military and monarchical social organisation. God will be like king and human beings will be arranged in an military organisation. Challenges will be punished with severe punishments. Metaphysical will correspond to legalistic social organisation. Medieval social organisation represented this kind of society. Natural rights were substituted with Divine rights. Positive thinking is a society dominated by industrialists. Here importance is given to convert material resources of the Earth for human benefit and production of material inventions.

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