Royal Institute of Philosophy Lecture
24 April 2013
Prof Robert Fox (Oxford University)
Auguste Comte's Unfinished Business:
An Anglo-French Reflexion on the Religion of Humanity
Abstract
Auguste Comte’s intellectual life fell into two distinct parts, encapsulated in his great works, the Cours de philosophie positive (1830-42) and the Système de politique positive (1851-54). Having laid the foundations of his positivist philosophy in the Cours, Comte turned in the Système to “sociology” (his term), a body of social theory with his secular Religion of Humanity at its core. Emile Littré in France and John Stuart Mill in Britain were among those who admired the philosophy but rejected the Religion of Humanity as an aberration. “Complete” positivists, however, shared Comte’s perception of the Religion as essential to the completion of the positivist project. On into the twentieth century, the Religion had its adepts, especially in Britain, and it has left its traces as far afield as Brazil.
This lecture will be held in the Birley Room, Hatfield College, Durham University. Refreshments will be served from 5pm with the talk commencing at 5:30pm All welcome.
Dr Matthew D Eddy
Durham University, Department of Philosophy, 50/51 Old Elvet, Durham, DH1 3HN, United Kingdom. http://www.dur.ac.uk/m.d.eddy/ http://durham.academia.edu/MatthewEddy
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