THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF SOCIOLOGY

ADVERTISEMENT

Describe the latest shift in emphasis among founding fathers of
Sociology

Emphasis in this section is on the major founding fathers of Sociology and their main contribution to sociology.
3.1 Auguste Comte and Positivism
The idea of applying the scientific method to the social world is known
as “positivism”, apparently was first proposed by Auguste Comte (1798-
1857).
With the French Revolution still fresh in his mind, Comte left the small town in which he had grown up and moved to Paris. The change he experienced, combined with those France underwent in the revolution, led Comte to become interested in what holds society together. What creates social order, he wondered, instead of anarchy or chaos? And then, once society does become set on a particular course, what causes it to change?
As he considered these questions, Comte concluded that the right way to answer them was to apply the scientific method to social life. Just as this method had revealed the law of gravity, so too, it would uncover the laws that underlie society. Comte called this new science “sociology” – the study of society. From the Greek “logos” (study of) and the Latin
“socius” (comparison or being with others). Comte stressed that this new science (Sociology) not only would discover social principles but
also would apply them to social reforms, to making society a better
place to live.
To Comte, however, applying the scientific method to social life meant practicing what might be called “armchair philosophy” – drawing conclusions from informal observation of social life.
Since Comte insists that we must observe and classify human activities in order to uncover society‟s fundamental laws, and because he developed this idea and coined the term „Sociology‟, Comte is often credited as being the founder of Sociology.
3.2 Herbert Spencer and Social Darwinism
Herbert Spencer (1820-1903), a native of England, is sometimes called the second founder of sociology. Unlike Comte, Spencer stood firmly against social reform. In fact, he was convinced that no one should

ad

---