A General View of Positivism: Or, Summary exposition of the System of Thought and LifeComte, Auguste
Philosophy
A General View of Positivism: Or, Summary exposition of the System of Thought and Life
Comte, Auguste
Positivism
The plan to be followed in this period of education, will obviously be
that indicated by the encyclopædic law of Classification, which forms
part of my Theory of Development. Scientific study, whether for the
working man or the philosopher, should begin with the inorganic world
around us, and then pass to the subject of Man and Society; since our
ideas on these two subjects form the basis of our practical action. The
first class of studies, as I have stated before, includes four sciences
which we may arrange in pairs: Mathematics and Astronomy forming the
first pair; Physics and Chemistry the second. To each of these pairs,
two years may be given. But as the first ranges over a wide field, and
is of greater logical importance, it will require two lectures weekly;
whereas, for all the subsequent studies one lecture will be sufficient.
Besides, during these two years, the necessities of practical life
will not press heavily, and more time may fairly be spent in mental
occupation. From the study of inorganic science, the pupil will proceed
to Biology: this subject may easily be condensed in the fifth year
into a series of forty lectures, without really losing either its
philosophic or its popular character. This concludes the introductory
part of Education. The student will now co-ordinate all his previous
knowledge by the direct study of Sociology, statically and dynamically
viewed. On this subject also forty lectures will be given, in which the
structure and growth of human societies, especially those of modern
times, will be clearly explained. With this foundation we come to the
last of the seven years of pupillage, in which the great social purpose
of the scheme is at last reached. It will be devoted to a systematic
exposition of Moral Science, the principles of which may be now fully
understood by the light of the knowledge previously obtained of the
World, of Life, and of Humanity.
During this course of study, part of the three unoccupied months of
each year will be spent in public examinations, to test the degree to
which the instruction has been assimilated. The pupils will of their
own accord continue their esthetic pursuits, even supposing their
natural tastes in this direction not to be encouraged as they ought to
be. During the last two years the Latin and Greek languages might be
acquired, as an accessory study, which would improve the poetic culture
of the student, and be useful to him in the historical and moral
questions with which he will then be occupied. For the purposes of Art,
Greek is the more useful of the two; but in the second object, that of
enabling us to realize our social Filiation, Latin is of even greater
importance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account