Auguste Comte: An Intellectual Biography

Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Dedication......Page 9
Contents......Page 11
Acknowledgments......Page 13
Notes......Page 15
Introduction......Page 17
Coup d’etat and the second empire......Page 30
The aftermath of the seizure of power: the disciples’ reactions......Page 40
Littrè’s defection......Page 49
Second thoughts......Page 69
Catechisme positiviste......Page 74
A look to the east......Page 93
A strange appeal to the left......Page 101
New disciples during the empire......Page 112
More defections, quarrels, and hesitations......Page 126
The elusive disciple: harriet martineau......Page 148
Deullin’s republication of the cours......Page 172
Volume one: natural philosophy......Page 175
The subjective synthesis......Page 183
A reexamination of the sciences......Page 199
Volume two: social philosophy and the introduction of morality......Page 208
Religion......Page 210
Economics and material activities......Page 221
The family and emotional activities......Page 225
Comte’s theory of language: intellectual activities......Page 229
The social organism......Page 239
The church and positive priests......Page 243
Material life: practicians......Page 248
The new science of morality......Page 256
Introduction......Page 262
Fetishism: thoughts on racism and sexism......Page 272
Polytheism......Page 293
Monotheism......Page 304
The occidental revolution......Page 310
Introduction......Page 328
The practicians......Page 334
Women and priests......Page 337
The cult......Page 350
Dogma......Page 357
The regime......Page 362
The triumph of the religion of humanity......Page 382
Contemporaries’ reactions to the “ système”......Page 401
Floundering between revolution and reaction......Page 410
Appel aux conservateurs......Page 419
A religious league......Page 431
Continuing financial woes......Page 440
New disciples toward the end......Page 445
The issue of control......Page 462
Comte’s testament and last wishes......Page 490
Synthèse subjective......Page 499
Relations with his family......Page 529
Increased zealotry......Page 533
The death of vieillard and comte’s unraveling......Page 542
Blignières......Page 546
Comte’s illness and death......Page 551
The immediate aftermath of comte’s death......Page 565
Influence......Page 580
Assessment of the man and his philosophy......Page 596
Works by Auguste Comte......Page 625
Contemporary Newspapers and Journals......Page 626
Other Primary Sources......Page 627
Secondary sources......Page 631
Index......Page 649