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The Law of Three Stages

The document outlines Auguste Comte's Law of Three Stages, which states that societies and sciences progress through theological, metaphysical, and positive stages. [1] The theological stage involves explaining phenomena through religion and personified deities. [2] The metaphysical stage sees an extension of theology through abstract concepts like God as an impersonal force. [3] Finally, the positive stage relies on scientific explanation and the scientific method based on observation and experimentation.

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Akash Kumar
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2K views7 pages

The Law of Three Stages

The document outlines Auguste Comte's Law of Three Stages, which states that societies and sciences progress through theological, metaphysical, and positive stages. [1] The theological stage involves explaining phenomena through religion and personified deities. [2] The metaphysical stage sees an extension of theology through abstract concepts like God as an impersonal force. [3] Finally, the positive stage relies on scientific explanation and the scientific method based on observation and experimentation.

Uploaded by

Akash Kumar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

THE LAW OF THREE

STAGES

Name- Kumar Harshwardhan


Registration No. 12000889
Course Code- SOC223
Father Of Sociology
 Isidore Marie Auguste François Xavier Comte was a French
philosopher and writer who formulated the doctrine of
positivism. He is often regarded as the first philosopher of
science in the modern sense of the term.

 Born:19 January 1978, Montpellier, France


 Died: 5 September 1857, Paris, France
 Parents: Louis-Auguste-Xavier Comte, Rosalie Boyer
 Education: : University of Montpellier; École Polytechnique
The Law of Three Stage
 The law of three stages is an idea developed by Auguste
Comte in his work The Course in Positive Philosophy. It
states that society as a whole, and each particular science,
develops through three mentally conceived stages:

the theological
stage

the metaphysical
stage

the positive stage


Law of the Three Stages Positive Stage Monotheism

Theologic Metaphysi
al Stage cal Stage

Fetishis Polythei
m sm
• The Theological stage refers to the appeal to personified

Theolgical Stage deities. During the earlier stages, people believed that all the
phenomena of nature are the creation of the divine or
supernatural.

• Fetishism was the primary stage of the theological stage of


Fetishism thinking. Throughout this stage, primitive people believe that
inanimate objects have living spirit in them, also known as
animism.

• At one poin, Fetishism began to bring about doubt in the minds of its
believers. As a result, people turned towards polytheism: The explation of
Polytheism things through the use of many Gods. Primitive people believe that all
natural forces are controlled by different Gods; a few example would be
God of water, God of rain, God of fire, God of air, God of earth, etc.

Monotheism •Monotheism means believing in one God or God in one;


attributing all to a single, supreme deity. Primitive people believe a
single theistic entity is responsible for the existence of the
universe.
•The Metaphysical stage is an extension of the

Metaphys theological stage. It refers to explanation by


impersonal abstract concepts. People often try to
characterize God as an abstract being. They
ical Stage believe that an abstract power or force guides and
determines events in the world.

Positiv
•The Positivity stage, also known as the scientific stage,
refers to scientific explanation based on observation,
experiment, and comparison. Positive explanations
rely upon a distinct method, the scientific method, for

e Stage their justification. Today people attempt to establish


cause and effect relationships.

THE LAW OF THREE STAGES Name- Kumar Harshwardhan Registration No. 12000889 Course Code- SOC223
Father Of Sociology  Isidore Marie Auguste François Xavier Comte was a French philosopher and writer who formulated the doc
The Law of Three Stage  The law of three stages is an idea developed by Auguste Comte in his work The Course in Positive Ph
Law of the Three Stages Theologic al Stage Fetishis m Polythei sm Metaphysi cal Stage Positive Stage Monotheism
• The Theological stage refers to the appeal to personified deities. During the earlier stages, people believed that all the
•The Metaphysical stage is an extension of the theological stage. It refers to explanation by impersonal abstract concepts.

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