Ginalyn B.

Naraja
HUMSS 12-4
A. Go online and search for a prominent social scientist. Describe his/her professional
practice and one specific program or contribution he/she has imparted to the society.
- Isidore Auguste Marie Francois Xavier Comte was born in Montellier of Southern France in
January 1, 1798 and died in 1857. Auguste Comte is best known for coining the term
"sociology." Comte was born in France shortly after the French Revolution. In response to the
social upheaval and alienation of the period, he devoted himself to the study of society, which
he called sociology.

Comte divided sociology into two main branches: social statics, which is the study of forces
holding society together, and social dynamics, which is the study of forces causing social
change. Comte's observations and analyses were based on scientific principles. He believed that
because society operates according to its own set of laws, similar to the way the physical world
operates according to physical laws, it should be studied as a social science. He called this
approach positivism. According to positivism, sociologists should focus only on what they can
observe with their senses so they can acquire reliable, valid knowledge about how society
works. They can then use that knowledge to stimulate social change and improve the human
condition.

Comte was a major influence on other writers and thinkers of the 19th century, including
George Eliot, Karl Marx and John Stuart Mill. Comte's ideas and methods also advanced the
field of sociology in general, especially modern academic sociology, which emphasizes practical
and objective social research.

B. Assess how his/her contribution made an effect to the different sectors of society,
especially on individuals, groups, and the community as a whole.

- Since the birth, the life of Auguste Comte has been quite difficult as he was born during
the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution. Both of these revolutions lead to
the division of society in his country in two major parts. First part belonged to the
revolutionary thinkers while the other part comprised of the religious thinkers. The clash
of opinions and the differences in the thoughts lead to the birth of violent activities and
conflicts which increased exponentially.

- All the pre-existing thoughts and beliefs about the society were smashed brutally in the
ongoing disputes. Auguste Comte devoted a great part of his life in solving these
disputes and came up with an idea of his own which supported the scientific aspects of
society. Totally neglecting the revolutionary and religious ideas, he invented his own
philosophy for a new society amidst the whole turmoil. He organized the pre-existing
social order and gave it a new scientific outlook and analyzed everything scientifically.
The contribution of the Father of Sociology during this period is of immense importance,
as it had a noticeable effect in the progressing revolutions.