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Questions and Answers
What was the main point of agreement between Comte and Mach?
According to Mach, what do we experience directly?
Who influenced Albert Einstein's life and work?
What concept did Mach anticipate, according to the passage?
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What was the main difference between Comte and Mach's views of science?
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What is the main idea behind positivism according to Auguste Comte?
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What is the primary difference between Comte's and Mach's positivism?
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According to Comte, what is the highest stage of development in societies?
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What is the term coined by Comte to describe the study of how different societies compare in terms of the three stages of development?
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What is the goal of scientists according to Comte's positivism?
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What is the primary focus of Ernst Mach's positivism?
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What is the purpose of Comte's utopian society?
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Who would be the primary disciples of Comte's new religion?
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Study Notes
Auguste Comte
- Founder of positivism and coined the term sociology
- Believed cultures pass through three stages in explaining phenomena:
- Theological (primitive, based on superstition and mysticism)
- Metaphysical (based on unseen essences, principles, causes, or laws)
- Scientific (highest stage, emphasizing description, prediction, and control of natural phenomena)
- Advocated for positivism, which focuses on directly experienced events or overt behavior
- Used sociology to compare societies based on their stage of development
- Later discussed positivism as a religion, with science as the sole belief system
- Envisioned a utopian society based on scientific principles, with humanity replacing God and scientists/philosophers replacing priests
Ernst Mach
- Proposed a brand of positivism based on phenomenological experiences of scientists
- Believed scientists never experience the physical world directly, only mental phenomena
- Insisted on precisely describing relationships among mental phenomena without metaphysical speculation
- Agreed with Comte on the importance of certainty in science, but differed on what can be known with certainty
- Focused on mental phenomena and sensations, whereas Comte emphasized physical events
- Influenced Albert Einstein and anticipated Bridgman's concept of operational definition
- Provided a template for the proper conduct of science, emphasizing the importance of precise description and avoidance of metaphysical speculation
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Description
Quiz about Auguste Comte, the founder of positivism, and his ideas on the stages of cultural development and the role of science.
