,*APT] #c 

#aicaic 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,PET] ,KROPOTK9 

,DESCRIPTION 3 ,AUGU/E ,COMTE'S ,ATTEMPT TO BUILD UP A ,SYN!TIC ,PHILOSOPHY4--,! CAUSES ( HIS FAILURE3 ! RELIGI\S EXPLANATION ( ! MORAL S5SE 9 MAN4 

,TEXT 3 

  

,PHOTO BY ,$51 ,JAN9E & ,JIM1,C,C ,B,Y ,LIC5SE ,IT WAS NATURAL ?AT1 AS SOON AS SCI5CE HAD ATTA9$ SU* G5]ALIZATIONS1 ! 
NE$ ( A SYN!TIC PHILOSOPHY %\LD BE FELT2 A PHILOSOPHY :I*1 NO 
LONG] DISCUSS+ 0! ESS5CE ( ?+S10 FIR/ CAUSES10 ! 0 AIM ( LIFE10 & 
SIMIL> SYMBOLIC EXPRESSIONS1 & REPUDIAT+ ALL SORTS ( AN?ROPOMORPHISM 7! 
5D[M5T ( NATURAL PH5OM5A ) HUMAN *>ACT]I/ICS71 %\LD BE A DIGE/ 
& UNIFICATION ( ALL \R KN[L$GE2 A PHILOSOPHY :I*1 PROCE$+ FROM ! 
SIMPLE TO ! COMPLEX1 W\LD FURNI% A KEY TO ! UND]/&+ ( ALL NATURE1 9 
ITS 5TIRETY1 &1 ?R\< ?AT1 9DICATE TO US ! L9ES ( FUR!R RESE>* & 
! MEANS ( DISCOV]+ NEW1 YET UNKN[N1 CORRELATIONS 7SO-CALL$ LAWS71 :ILE 
AT ! SAME TIME IT W\LD 9SPIRE US ) CONFID5CE 9 ! CORRECTNESS ( \R 
CONCLUSIONS1 H[EV] MU* !Y MAY DIFF] FROM CURR5T SUP]/ITIONS4 

,SU* ATTEMPTS AT A CON/RUCTIVE SYN!TIC PHILOSOPHY W]E MADE SEV]AL TIMES 
DUR+ ! N9ETE5? C5TURY1 ! *IEF ( !M BE+ ?OSE ( ,AUGU/E ,COMTE & 
( ,H]B]T ,SP5C]4 ,ON !SE TWO WE %ALL HAVE TO DWELL4.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  

,! NE$ ( SU* A PHILOSOPHY AS ?IS WAS ADMITT$ ALREADY 9 ! EI<TE5? 
C5TURY-BY ! PHILOSOPH] & ECONOMI/ ,TURGOT &1 SUBSEQU5TLY1 EV5 MORE 
CLE>LY BY ,SA9T-,SIMON4 ,AS HAS BE5 /AT$ ABOVE1 ! 5CYCLOPA$I/S1 & 
LIKEWISE ,VOLTAIRE 9 HIS 0,PHILOSOPHICAL ,DICTION>Y10 HAD ALREADY BEGUN TO 
CON/RUCT IT4 ,9 A MORE RIGOR\S1 SCI5TIFIC =M :I* W\LD SATISFY ! 
REQUIREM5TS ( ! EXACT SCI5CES1 IT WAS N[ UND]TAK5 BY ,AUGU/E ,COMTE4 

,IT IS WELL KN[N ?AT ,COMTE ACQUITT$ HIMSELF V]Y ABLY ( HIS TASK SO F> AS 
! EXACT SCI5CES W]E CONC]N$4 ,HE WAS QUITE RI<T 9 9CLUD+ ! SCI5CE 
( LIFE 7,BIOLOGY7 & ?AT ( HUMAN SOCIETIES 7,SOCIOLOGY7 9 ! CIRCLE ( 
SCI5CES COMPASS$ BY HIS POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY2 & HIS PHILOSOPHY HAS HAD A 
GREAT 9FLU5CE UPON ALL SCI5TI/S & PHILOSOPH]S ( ! N9ETE5? C5TURY4 

,BUT :Y WAS IT ?AT ?IS GREAT PHILOSOPH] PROV$ SO WEAK ! MOM5T HE TOOK 
UP1 9 HIS 0,POSITIVE ,POLITICS10 ! /UDY ( SOCIAL 9/ITUTIONS1 ESPECIALLY 
?OSE ( MOD]N TIMES8 ,?IS IS ! QUE/ION :I* MO/ ADMIR]S ( ,COMTE HAVE 
ASK$ !MSELVES4 ,H[ C\LD SU* A BROAD & /RONG M9D COME TO ! RELIGION 
:I* ,COMTE PREA*$ 9 ! CLOS+ YE>S ( HIS LIFE8 ,LITTRE & ,MILL1 IT 
IS WELL KN[N1 REFUS$ EV5 TO RECOGNIZE ,COMTE'S 0,POLITICS0 AS P>T ( HIS 
PHILOSOPHY2 !Y CONSID]$ IT ! PRODUCT ( A WEAK5$ M9D2 :ILE O!RS 
UTT]LY FAIL$ 9 !IR 5DEAVORS TO DISCOV] A UNITY ( ME?OD 9 ! TWO 
WORKS4#a 

,& YET ! CONTRADICTION BETWE5 ! TWO P>TS ( ,COMTE'S PHILOSOPHY IS 9 
! HI<E/ DEGREE *>ACT]I/IC & ?R[S A BRI<T LI<T UPON ! PROBLEMS ( 
\R [N TIME4 

,:5 ,COMTE HAD F9I%$ HIS 0,C\RSE ( ,POSITIVE ,PHILOSOPHY10 HE UND\BT$LY 
MU/ HAVE P]CEIV$ ?AT HE HAD NOT YET T\*$ UPON ! MO/ IMPORTANT 
PO9T--NAMELY1 ! ORIG9 9 MAN ( ! MORAL PR9CIPLE & ! 9FLU5CE 
( ?IS PR9CIPLE UPON HUMAN LIFE4 ,HE WAS B\ND TO ACC\NT = ! ORIG9 ( 
?IS PR9CIPLE1 TO EXPLA9 IT BY ! SAME PH5OM5A BY :I* HE HAD EXPLA9$ 
LIFE 9 G5]AL1 & TO %[ :Y MAN FEELS ! NECESSITY ( OBEY+ HIS MORAL 
S5SE1 OR1 AT LEA/1 ( RECKON+ ) IT4 ,BUT = ?IS HE WAS LACK+ 9 
KN[L$GE 7AT ! TIME HE WROTE ?IS WAS QUITE NATURAL7 AS WELL AS 9 BOLDNESS4 
,SO1 9 LIEU ( ! ,GOD ( ALL RELIGIONS1 :OM MAN MU/ WOR%IP & TO :OM HE 
MU/ APPEAL 9 ORD] TO BE VIRTU\S1 HE PLAC$ ,HUMANITY1 WRIT L>GE4 ,TO 
?IS NEW IDOL HE ORD]$ US TO PRAY ?AT WE MI<T DEVELOP 9 \RSELVES ! MORAL 
CONCEPT4 ,BUT ONCE ?IS /EP HAD BE5 TAK5--ONCE IT WAS F\ND NECESS>Y TO PAY 
HOMAGE TO SOME?+ /&+ \TSIDE ( & HI<] ?AN ! 9DIVIDUAL 9 ORD] 
TO RETA9 MAN ON ! MORAL PA?--ALL ! RE/ FOLL[$ NATURALLY4 ,EV5 ! 
RITUALISM ( ,COMTE'S RELIGION MOLD$ ITSELF V]Y NATURALLY UPON ! MODEL ( 
ALL ! PREC$+ POSITIVE RELIGIONS4 

,ONCE ,COMTE W\LD NOT ADMIT ?AT EV]Y?+ ?AT IS MORAL 9 MAN GREW \T ( 
OBS]VATION ( NATURE & FROM ! V]Y CONDITIONS ( M5 LIV+ 9 
SOCIETIES1--?IS /EP WAS NECESS>Y4 ,HE DID NOT SEE ?AT ! MORAL S5TIM5T 9 
MAN IS AS DEEPLY ROOT$ AS ALL ! RE/ ( HIS PHYSICAL CON/ITUTION 9H]IT$ BY 
HIM FROM HIS SL[ EVOLUTION2 ?AT ! MORAL CONCEPT 9 MAN HAD MADE ITS FIR/ 
APPE>ANCE 9 ! ANIMAL SOCIETIES :I* EXI/$ LONG BE=E MAN HAD APPE>$ 
UPON E>?2 & ?AT1 CONSEQU5TLY1 :ATEV] MAY BE ! 9CL9ATIONS ( SEP>ATE 
9DIVIDUALS1 ?IS CONCEPT MU/ P]SI/ 9 MANK9D AS LONG AS ! HUMAN SPECIES 
DOES NOT BEG9 TO DET]IORATE1---! ANTI-MORAL ACTIVITY ( SEP>ATE M5 
9EVITABLY CALL+ =? A C\NT]-ACTIVITY ON ! P>T ( ?OSE :O 
SURR\ND !M1 JU/ AS ACTION CAUSES REACTION 9 ! PHYSICAL WORLD4 ,COMTE DID 
NOT UND]/& ?IS1 & !RE=E HE WAS COMPELL$ TO 9V5T A NEW 
IDOL--,HUMANITY--9 ORD] ?AT IT %\LD CON/ANTLY RECALL MAN TO ! MORAL PA?4 

,LIKE ,SA9T-,SIMON1 ,F\RI]1 & ALMO/ ALL HIS O!R CONTEMPOR>IES1 ,COMTE ?US 
PAID HIS TRIBUTE TO ! ,*RI/IAN $UCATION HE HAD RECEIV$4 ,)\T A /RUGGLE 
( ! EVIL PR9CIPLES ) ! GOOD--9 :I* ! TWO %\LD BE EQUALLY 
MAT*$--& )\T MAN'S APPLICATION 9 PRAY] TO ! GOOD PR9CIPLE & ITS 
APO/LES ON E>? = MA9TA9+ HIM 9 ! VIRTU\S PA?1 ,*RI/IANTY CANNOT BE 
CONCEIV$4 ,& ,COMTE1 DOM9AT$ FROM *ILDHOOD BY ?IS ,*RI/IAN IDEA1 REV]T$ 
TO IT AS SOON AS HE F\ND HIMSELF FACE TO FACE ) ! QUE/ION ( MORALITY & 
! MEANS ( =TIFY+ IT 9 ! HE>T ( MAN4 

 ,FOOTNOTES 

 #a 
,NONE ?AT KN[ ! AU?OR'S FAIRNESS ( M9D WILL BE LIKELY TO ACCUSE HIM ( 
P>TIALITY 9 ! SCA?+ CRITICISM HE H]E MAKES ( ! ,APO/LE ( ,POSITIVISM4  
,LE/ ANY READ] BE 9CL9$ TO DO SO1 H[EV]1 IT MAY NOT BE AMISS TO CITE ON 
?IS PO9T ! OP9ION ( A CRITIC UNQUE/IONABLY CONS]VATIVE &1 PRESUMABLY1 
IMP>TIAL--AN OP9ION ,I CAME UPON BY M]E *ANCE :ILE 5GAG$ ON ?IS 
TRANSLATION4 ,SCATT]$ ?R\< PAGES #ef TO #efc ( ,FALCK5B]G'S 0,HI/ORY ( 
,MOD]N ,PHILOSOPHY0 7,H5RY ,HOLT @& ,CO41 ,NEW ,YORK1 #a#h#i#c71 ,I F9D ! FOLL[+ 
E/IMATE ( ,COMTE & HIS UNEV5 WORK3 0,! EXTRAORD9>Y *>ACT] ( :I* 
.<,COMTE'S PHILOSOPHY.> HAS GIV5 OCCASION TO HIS CRITICS TO MAKE A COMPLETE 
DI-VISION BETWE5 ! SECOND1 'SUBJECTIVE OR S5TIM5TAL1' P]IOD ( HIS 
?9K+1 9 :I* ! PHILOSOPH] IS SAID TO BE TRANS=M$ 9TO ! HI< PRIE/ 
( A NEW RELIGION1 & ! FIR/1 ! POSITIVI/IC P]IOD4444,B5EA? ! SURFACE 
( ! MO/ SOB] 9QUIRY MY/ICAL & DICTATORIAL T5D5CIES PULSATE 9 ,COMTE 
FROM ! BEG9N+4444,! HI/ORICAL 9FLU5CE EX]CIS$ BY ,COMTE ?R\< HIS 
LAT] WRIT+S IS EXTREMELY SMALL 9 COMP>ISON ) ?AT ( HIS *IEF 
WORK4444,COMTE'S S*OOL DIVID$ 9TO TWO GR\PS--! APO/ATES1 :O REJECT ! 
SUBJECTIVE PHASE & HOLD FA/ TO ! E>LI] DOCTR9E1 & ! 
FAI?FUL40--,TRANSLATOR4 

7,S\RCE3 ,TRANSLAT$ BY ,DAVID ,A4 ,MODELL & PUBLI%$ BY ,! ,SOCIAL ,SCI5CE ,CLUB ( ,PHILADELPHIA 9 #a#i#c47 

,FROM 3 ,AN>*Y ,>*IVES4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #aib 3 ,*APT] #c -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,JANU>Y #b#a1 #bag 3 ,*APT] #c -- ,ADD$4 

 FILE G5]AT$ FROM 3  
HTTP3_/_/REVOLTLIB4COM_/