Historic Humanist Series

Auguste Comte was born at Montpelier, France in 1798. Although his family was devout Catholic, Comte announced at the age of fourteen that he had "naturally ceased believing in God."

Comte is best known today as the father of Grench positivist thought. Positivism may be described as either a philosophical system and method, or as a philosophy of history.

His political philosophy attempted to reconcile science with religion, and the ideals of 1789, with the doctrine of counter revolution of his own time. His influence on 19th century thought, in general, was immense, although he is almost always overshadowded by Marx and Darwin. Positivist societies were formed in England and France, and Comtean churches appeared in far off Brazil. George Eliot and John Stuart Mill were positivists, and the regime of Louis Napoleon -- established in 1851 -- was also influenced by Comte.

--Steven Kreis