The law of the three Stages is one of the most remarkable contribution of Comte to Sociology. This law was given by Auguste Comte in his magnum opus course de Philosophie Positive (The Course of Positivist Philosophy) written between 1830-1842, and in system de politique positive (System of Positive Polity or Positive Polity) written between 1951-54 and published in 1853 and 1912 respectively. As early as 1822 when he was working as Secretary of Saint Simon, Comte made an attempt to discover the successive stages of evolution of human race. The law of Human Progress is also known as the law of progress or the law of three stages. It is mainly based on the method of scientific comparison of the evolution of society with reference to time. Comte believed that the evolution of the human society takes place with the evolution of human mind. In this context, every branch of human knowledge passes through different stages of development, i.e., the theological, the metaphysical and the scientific. The theory proposes these three intellectual stages through which the world has passed throughout its history. In this context, Comte stated:
Each of our leading conception each branch of our knowledge, passes successively through different theoretical conditions: the Theological or fictitious; the metaphysical or abstract and the scientific or positive In theological state, the human mind, seeking the essential nature of beings, the first and final causes (the origin and purpose) of all effects supposes all phenomena to be produced by the immediate action of supernatural beings. In the metaphysical state… the mind supposes … abstract forces, veritable entities (that is, personified abstractions)… capable of producing all phenomena In the final, the positive state, the mind has given over the vain search after Absolute notions, the origin and destination of the universe, and the causes of phenomena, and applies itself to the study of their laws – that is, their invariable relations of succession and resemblance.
Man, in fact, in the first stage seeks for ‘final cause’, in the second for “abstract forces” and in the third for ‘exact laws’. These three stages of the evolution of human thought can be discussed in separate as
Follows:
(i) The Theological Stage:
This is the first stage of the evolution of human thought, according to Comte, and is also known as fictitious stage. This stage was characterised the world prior to 1300. During this period, the major idea was based on the belief supernatural powers, religious figures and gods and goddesses his period was dominated by priests and the military. In particular social and physical world were seen as produced by God. Thamind explains phenomena by ascribing them to beings or forces comparable to man him” Thus, human mind at this level supposes that all phenomena is produced by the immediate action or supernatural beings. This stage passed through three. Subordinates phases – fetishism, polytheism and monotheism.
(ii) The Metaphysical Stage:
This stage is the second stage of evolution of human thought, according to Comte, and is also known as abstract stage. The metaphysical stage occurred roughly between 1300 and 1800. This stage of evolution was characterised by the belief that abstract forces such as ‘nature explain virtually everything rather than supernatural beliefs. In this phase, “the mind explains phenomena by invoking abstract entities like ‘natural.” In this stage, men started reasoning for themselves instead of accepting authoritative revelations. This stage was dominated by churchman and lawyers.
(iii) The Positive Stage:
This is the last and most scientific stage of development of human thought. It is also known as scientific stage. This stage finally entered in 1800. This stage was.’ characterised by belief in science. This stage gives emphasis on the success of science and faith in positivism. This stage does not consider the belief on transcendentalism and supernaturalism. Closer explains, “Human mind at this stage applies itself to the study of their laws, i.e., their invariable relations of succession and resemblance”. Human beings seek to establish laws which link facts and which govern social life. This stage is dominated by industrial administrators and scientists.
Comte believed that each stage or sub-stage of the evolution of human thoughts necessarily grew out of the preceding one. Comte argues, “The constitution of the new system cannot take place before the destruction of the old”. In addition, he also focused on three stages of development of human thought in correlation with the development of social organisation, types of social order, types of social units and material conditions found in society.
On the basis of development of three stages of human thought, Comte identified the major types of societies: the theological military society and the scientific-industrial society.
According to Comte, “a certain type of society is dying, another being born before his eyes. The dying type is characterised by theological and military Theological thinking is contemporaneous with Tatary activity. The type being born is scientific all. This society is scientific in the sense….. scientists are replacing priests or theologians as the social category providing the intellectual and moral foundation of the social order. The scientists are inheriting the spiritual power of the priests Comte’s analysis of theological-military society is therefore, characterised by the predominance of theological thinking and military activity. In the scientific-industrial society, theological ideas have been replaced by scientific one that provide intellectual and moral foundation of society. Comte’s theory of human progress is considered to be unilinear theory of evolution or social change.
He believed that intellectual evolution is the most important basis of his explanation of human progress. However, he made a major point that growth human population determines the rate of social progress. In this sense, Comte’s approach of human progress seems to be wholistic in nature. The law of three stages is also linked with the hierarchy of the sciences so far as the process and approach of evolution is concerned.
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