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
is owing to its influence that the central point of the new synthesis
is placed in our moral rather than our intellectual nature; and this,
in spite of every prejudice and habit of thought that has been formed
during the revolutionary period of the last five centuries. And while
in this, which is the primary condition of social organization,
Positivism, proves more efficient than Theology, it at the same time
terminates the disunion which has existed so long between the intellect
and the heart. For it follows logically from its principles, and also
from the whole spirit of the system, that the intellect shall be free
to exercise its full share of influence in every department of human
life. When it is said that the intellect should be subordinate to
the heart, what is meant is, that the intellect should devote itself
exclusively to the problems which the heart suggests, the ultimate
object being to find proper satisfaction for our various wants.
Without this limitation, experience has shown too clearly that it
would almost always follow its natural bent for useless or insoluble
questions, which are the most plentiful and the easiest to deal with.
But when any problem of a legitimate kind has been once proposed, it
is the sole judge of the method to be pursued, and of the utility of
the results obtained. Its province is to inquire into the present, in
order to foresee the future, and to discover the means of improving
it. In this province it is not to be interfered with. In a word the
intellect is to be the servant of the heart, not its slave. Under
these two correlative conditions the elements of our nature will at
last be brought into harmony. The equilibrium of these two elements,
once established, is in little danger of being disturbed. For since
it is equally favourable to both of them, both will be interested
in maintaining it. The fact that Reason in modern times has become
habituated to revolt, is no ground for supposing that it will always
retain its revolutionary character, even when its legitimate claims
have been fully satisfied. Supposing the case to arise, however,
society, as I shall show afterwards, would not be without the means
of repressing any pretensions that were subversive of order. There is
another point of view which may assure us that the position given to
the heart under the new system will involve no danger to the growth of
intellect. Love, when real, ever desires light, in order to attain its
ends. The influence of true feeling is as favourable to sound thought
as to wise activity.
[The subordination of the
intellect to the heart is
the _Subjective Principle_
of Positivism]
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