Selected Early Political Writings of Comte (English Edition)

Author: Kong De
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-05-01
Features: The French philosopher Auguste Comte is generally acknowledged as one of the founding fathers of sociology and one of the most influential grand theorists of the nineteenth century. This edition of Comte's early essays, based on the first fresh translations since the Victorian period, shows Comte at the heart of the political and intellectual debates of Restoration France. It is constructed around his fundamental essay, the Plan of the Scientific Work Necessary for the Reorganization of Society, which was Comte's first attempt to expound a systematic doctrine and set the agenda for his entire intellectual career. The young Comte forged the central features of his philosophical system in response to the central challenge of the 1820s—how to find a new foundation for political legitimacy and thus close the revolutionary era. Stuart Jones's introduction to this new edition shows how Comte grappled with problems that confronted liberals and counter-revolutionaries alike, and identifies the novelty of his solution. The essays presented in this edition reveal the systematic character of Comte's intellect, which lay at the root of his enormous appeal to nineteenth-century readers. In addition to the substantial introduction, this volume contains a chronology, biographical information on key figures, and a bibliographical note, making this an accessible volume highly suitable for undergraduate use.