Already with Descartes, the anthropological character of philosophy was strongly marked. After him, philosophical speculation took man for its centre more and more. This tendency also predominates in Comte’s doctrine. But in it it assumes a social character. Here the “universal subject” is no longer the intellectual consciousness of Kant, or the absolute “ego” of Fichte; it is Humanity evolving in time, whose unity is displayed through the succession of generations connected in strict solidarity with each other. Henceforth the philosophical problems, no longer present themselves from the point of view of man conceived in the abstract or in himself apart from time. The consideration of history necessarily intervenes. Problems are formulated in social terms. There lies the deep significance of the doctrine systematised by Comte. FOOTNOTES: [228] Cours, IV, 200. [229] Cours, IV, 191-2. [230] Cours, IV, 193-99; Pol. pos., IV, Appendice, p. 106. [231] Cours, IV, 200-205; Pol. pos. IV, Appendice, p. 109. [232] Cours, IV, 243-4. [233] Lettres à Valat, p. 138-9 (8 septembre, 1824). [234] Cours, IV, 2-3. [235] Cours, IV, 391; VI, 775-6; Pol. pos., IV, Appendice, p. 124-7. [236] Pol. pos., II. 288-9. [237] Cours, IV. 326. [238] Cours, IV. 387. [239] Pol. pos., IV. Appendix, p. 124-7. [240] Cours, IV. 279-80. [241] Cours, IV. 337. [242] Cours, IV, 342-44. [243] Cours. IV. 354-sq. [244] Cours, IV, 360. [245] Cours. IV, 225. [246] Cours, IV., 366 sq; Pol. pos., IV. Appendice, p. 135 sq. [247] Cours, IV, 371-3; Pol. pos., I, 624-6. [248] Pol. pos., III, 47-48. [249] Pol. pos., I, 442. CHAPTER III SOCIAL STATICS As biology distinguishes the anatomical point of view, “relating to the ideas of organisation,” and the physiological point of view, “relating to the ideas of life,” so sociology separates the study of the conditions of existence of a society (social statics), and that of the laws of its movements (social dynamics). This distinction has the advantage of corresponding exactly to that of order and progress, from the practical point of view, while it is closely allied to the encyclopædic law called “the principle of the conditions of existence.” Comte will not admit that he is making two distinct sciences of social statics and social dynamics. Sociology, according to him, is constituted by the constant drawing together of these two corresponding studies. However, they each have their own object, and Comte has treated them separately. Indeed, social statics and dynamics are far from having the same importance in his work.