Auguste Comte
Sociologist
What is sociology?
Sociology is the academic study of social behavior, including its origins, development, organization, and institutions. It is a social science that uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about social order, social disorder and social change.
Who was Auguste Comte?
Auguste Comte was born on January 20th, 1798. He was the founder of positivism. Which is the way of thinking based on the assumption that it is possible to observe social life and establish reliable, valid knowledge about how it works. He actually made the term sociology. That is why it is important to know what "sociology" means when you are learning about Auguste Comte.
Career
In 1826 Comte began a series of lectures on his “positivism” for an audience, but he suffered a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized. He was later recovered with the help of his wife, Caroline. They were married in 1842. He began teaching the course again in January 1829, marking the beginning of a second period in Comte's life that lasted 13 years. During this time he published the six volumes of the Course between 1830 and 1842. He died on cancer on September 5th, 1857.