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University of Nevada Reno the Loss of the Philosophic Tradition and The University of Nevada Reno The Loss of the Philosophic Tradition and the Rise of the Positive Philosophy of Auguste Comte A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science by Diana Jonmarie Dr. John Marini / Dissertation Advisor May, 2015 Copyright by Diana Jonmarie 2015 All Rights Reserved UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA THE GRADUATE SCHOOL RENO We recommend that the dissertation prepared under our supervision by DIANA JONMARIE entitled The Loss of the Philosophic Tradition and The Rise of the Positive Philosophy of Auguste Comte be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY John Marini, Ph.D., Advisor Eric Herzik, Ph.D., Committee Member Robert Dickens, Ph.D., Committee Member Neal Ferguson, Ph.D., Committee Member Barbara Walker, Ph.D., Graduate School Representative David W. Zeh, Ph.D., Dean, Graduate School May, 2015 i ABSTRACT This study examines the loss of original principles that distinguish ancient Western philosophy as a valid conceptual framework for political theory and practice. I explore how the Philosophic Tradition as a centuries-old foundation of inquiry and discourse loses its significance and finally its authority in the postmodern world. With the exclusion of metaphysical reflection and reason as a basis for understanding human existential and political phenomena, the transition to Historicism and Philosophic Positivism effectively redefined the nature and application of politics. Critical to this research and serving as a focal point of this study are the works of theorist and originator of the Positive Philosophy, Auguste Comte. I analyze the author‘s several volumes, these dedicated to establishing a new foundation of political thought, one in which scientific inquiry would serve as the ground for seeking truth and knowledge and as a basis for methodologically directing social and political reorganization. Essentially, Positive politics would as the theorist proposed, be free of abstract speculation (metaphysics) and work to reframe human nature by achieving a universal social state defined by ‗Order and Progress‘ and a futuristic system of advancement alike to no other period in human history. As this study examines this prophesy, it takes into view the rise and popularity of the Positive Philosophy from ancient perspectives to modern and postmodern Western thought. It further illustrates the resistance to and eventual replacement of traditional theoretical foundations leaving an indelible imprint on political philosophy which had experienced a profound transformation from its pre-scientific origins. Once as truth-seeking, self- critical and reflective as to moral values and ethical considerations of justice, prudence, and the public good, the Positive Philosophy would serve instead as the ground and authority for, as Comte envisaged, a modification of human existence. Thus politics reformulated was set to task in ordering the social world into its mission of productivity and progress and reconciling its vision of human perfectibility with a proposed end to political conflict. ii DEDICATION This achievement is dedicated to Joanne Clare Guarnieri Doyle whose loving encouragement and support made it all possible. E alla famiglia, altri cento anni iii CONTENTS ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................... i DEDICATION .................................................................................................................... ii CONTENTS ....................................................................................................................... iii INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 ―Does something exist . which has not even a name?.................................................1 Laying the Groundwork for the Philosophy of History ..................................................5 From Historicism to the Positive Philosophy of Auguste Comte .................................17 Selected Words of Auguste Comte ...............................................................................22 Post-modern Voices – Political Positivism and Its Controversy ..................................23 Significance to Contemporary Political Science: Raising Important Questions ...........35 A Critique of Positivism as Prophesy for the Twenty-first Century .............................38 References .....................................................................................................................40 Appendix A ...................................................................................................................43 CHAPTER I. THE WESTERN PHILOSOPHIC TRADITION........................................44 Origin of Political Philosophy in the Greek Dialectic ..................................................44 The Value of Philosophical Foundations in Political Theory and Practice ..................54 Philosophy as a Way of Life .........................................................................................58 References .....................................................................................................................67 CHAPTER II. A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE MODERNS AND THE TRANSFORMATION TO POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY ...........................................68 The Machiavellian Approach to Positivism ..................................................................68 Francis Bacon (1561-1626) and the Dispute With Tradition ........................................72 The Political Realism of Thomas Hobbes .....................................................................76 René Descartes and the ―First Philosophy‖ ..................................................................89 Baruch Spinoza‘s (1632-1677) Political Rationalism ...................................................94 Jeremy Bentham‘s Reformation of Political and Legal Theory (1748-1832)...............99 The New Positivism ....................................................................................................105 References ...................................................................................................................108 CHAPTER III. INTRODUCTION – THE POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY OF AUGUSTE COMTE – EARLY ESSAYS (1818-1822) ..................................................109 Table of Literature.......................................................................................................112 Early Writings (1818-1828) ........................................................................................113 References ...................................................................................................................129 iv CHAPTER IV. THE POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY OF AUGUSTE COMTE THE FIRST SYSTEM (1830-1842) ................................................................................130 The Positive Philosophy and the ―Sixth Science‖ – Social Physics ...........................138 Social Physics and a View of Logistics ......................................................................146 Theory of Social Statics and Social Dynamics ...........................................................157 References ...................................................................................................................162 CHAPTER V. THE POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY OF AUGUSTE COMTE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN RACE IN THREE PHASES ..............................163 Social and Political Progress Under Monotheistic Catholicism .................................175 The Second of the Three Phases – Metaphysical State and Critical Period of Modern Society ...........................................................................................................186 The Reorganizing Movement of the Positive Phase ...................................................199 The Third Phase – ―Philosophical Renovation‖ and the New Positive System ..........209 A ―Religion of Humanity‖ – Developing the Faith in Order and Progress ................214 References ...................................................................................................................224 CHAPTER VI. CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF COMTE‘S POSITIVE PHILSOPHY AND THE RISE OF LOGICAL POSITIVISM ..............................................................225 A View of Early Twentieth Century NeoPositivism...................................................261 References ...................................................................................................................272 CHAPTER VII. CONCLUSION - OBSERVATIONS OF POSTMODERNISM .........273 A Brief Look at Postmodern Systems Theory ............................................................290 Bureaucracies and Their Motives................................................................................301 A Final Observation ....................................................................................................313 References ...................................................................................................................316 1 INTRODUCTION “Does something exist, not in outer space but in the world and the affairs of men on earth, which has not even a name?” Political Theorist, Hannah Arendt Between Past and Future (1954) In the context of political thought, how might we answer this question? If we respond affirmatively
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