Auguste Comte Biography

Quick Facts

NAME: Auguste Comte
OCCUPATION: Philosopher, Academic Author, Sociologist
BIRTH DATE: January 19, 1798
DEATH DATE: September 05, 1857
EDUCATION: École Polytechnique, University of Montpellier, Lycee Joffre
PLACE OF BIRTH: Montpellier, Herault, France
PLACE OF DEATH: Paris, France
Full Name: Isidore Auguste Marie François Xavier Comte
Full Name: Auguste Comte

Best Known For

French philosopher Auguste Comte (1798–1857) greatly advanced the field of social science, giving it the name "sociology" and influenced many 19th-century social intellectuals.

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Auguste Comte

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After her death, in 1846, Comte wrote the System of Positive Polity. In his formulation of a “religion of humanity,” Comte proposed a religious order based on reason and humanity, emphasizing morality as the cornerstone of human political organization.

Death

Comte continued to refine and promote his “new world order,” attempting to unify history, psychology and economics through the scientific understanding of society. His work was widely promulgated by Europe’s intellectuals and influenced the thinking of Karl Marx, John Stuart Mill and George Eliot. Comte died of stomach cancer in Paris on September 5, 1857. Though self-centered and egocentric, Comte devoted himself to the betterment of society.