Comte, Auguste

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Comte, Auguste (1798–1857) French philosopher, the founder of Positivism. He proposed the law of the three stages (theological, metaphysical, and positive) that represent the development of the human race. In the first two stages, the human mind finds religious or abstract causes to explain phenomena. While in the third, explanation of a phenomenon is found in a scientific law. He influenced John Stuart Mill and was the founder of sociology. His works include System of Positive Polity (1830–42) and Politique Positive (1851–54).

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