IJHESS ISSN: 2685-6689  229

International Journal of Health, Economics, and Social Sciences (IJHESS)

Vol. 6 No. 1, January 2024 pp. 229~234
DOI: 10.56338/ijhess.v6i1.4814
Website: https://jurnal.unismuhpalu.ac.id/index.php/IJHESS

The Three Stages Law of Auguste Comte and Its Contribution

to the Study of Sociology
Rahmatullah1*, Shermina Oruh1, Andi Agustang2
1
Sociology Doctoral Program, Makassar State University, Makassar, South Sulawesi
2
Universitas Pejuang Republik Indonesia, Makassar, South Sulawesi

Article Info ABSTRACT

Article history: This article aims to explain Auguste Comte's three-stage law of
epistemology in the theory of social change, namely the theological,
Received metaphysical, and positive stages, and to explore its relevance to the study of
Revised sociology. The article employs qualitative research with a literature review
Accepted approach. This method is utilized to gather information and data through
various materials available in the library, such as documents, books,
magazines, and so on. Comte attempts to elucidate that social change occurs
Keywords: in three stages: the Theological Stage (fictional), the Metaphysical Stage
The Three Stages Law; (abstract), and the Positive Stage (scientific). These three stages are
Contribution; considered universal laws that generalize the evolution of society throughout
its history. Comte proposes that the positive stage represents the pinnacle of
Study of Sociology human thought evolution, and sociology, as a science, should adopt a
positivistic approach focused on empirical analysis and objective
observation to understand the structure and function of society. The positive
stage is viewed as the culmination and highest point in the development of
human intelligence, where humans seek to understand all relationships
within the order of nature through scientific approaches and empirical data.
This pursuit aims to shape human intelligence for more advanced and
progressive living.

Corresponding Author:
Rahmatullah
Sociology Doctoral Program, Makassar State University, Makassar, South Sulawesi
Email: [email protected]

1. INTRODUCTION

Every creature in this world will undergo changes, including humans who were created by God with
a certain perfection. Change is considered a natural will of God that involves every aspect of life, including
material possessions, ways of sustaining life, thinking patterns, behavior, and even the pursuit of worldly
pleasures. Changes can occur at both the individual and societal (community) levels and may lead to
improvement or, conversely, deterioration. Changes are not limited to material things but also involve the
cultural and civilizational aspects of human beings as a whole. Debates about change, especially in the
context of social change, continue, and it seems difficult to prevent their direction and pace. The concept of
social change encompasses social phenomena at various levels of human life, ranging from the individual
level to the global level. Social thinker Auguste Comte sought to provide a scientific and methodological
foundation for understanding the science of human society. He introduced the concept of social physics and
established the Positivism movement in the history of scientific development. Comte's approach enables the
study of social change at certain levels or beyond using various study areas and units of analysis.
The positivism movement reflects the human thought patterns of the 19th century, characterized by
advancements primarily in the field of science. During this period, scientific thoughts and knowledge
emerged, which were modern in nature [1]. Positivism, as a legal philosophy, adheres to a positive law theory
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where the law does not evaluate the goodness or badness of positive law itself but rather focuses on the
effectiveness of the law for society [2]. Auguste Comte is known as "the father of positivism," and his
perspective on science emphasizes that science is born and grows on the foundation of a strong philosophical
basis, serving as a paradigm for the development of modern science.
Auguste Comte was born in Montpellier, France (1798-1857), full name Isidore Auguste Marie
Francois Xavier Comte, was a prominent philosopher [3]. He is often referred to as the founder of Sociology,
introducing the term 'Sociology' itself. Comte was the son of a nobleman from a Catholic family. However,
throughout his life, Comte did not show loyalty to his nobility or his Catholic upbringing, influenced by the
social, intellectual, and political upheavals of his time. Alongside his senior, Henry de Saint Simon, Auguste
Comte was involved in a significant project in the field of positive philosophy (positivism). Although the
term positivism was first used by Saint Simon, Auguste Comte popularized it, making it one of the key terms
in the history of the philosophy of science. Moreover, Comte introduced the term sociology, which he
understood as the scientific study of society. For Comte, society should be seen as a separate entity from the
researcher, operating under the laws of determinism. The positivist approach held by Comte places high
importance on facts, and he only accepts factual knowledge. Positive facts refer to facts independent of
individual consciousness. Therefore, Comte referred to sociology as social physics, considering it a study of
humans and society equivalent to nature, with definite and mechanistic laws.
The term "positive" often appears in Comte's writings and aligns with his philosophy of positivism.
Positive facts refer to "real" or "actual" facts. A positive fact is something that can be tested or verified by
anyone willing to prove it. Through this project, Comte stood at the forefront of establishing sociology by
employing empirical methods that are observable and measurable (reliable-measureable), drawing examples
from natural science methods such as empirical observation, experiments, and comparison (comparison) [4].
Adian [5] states that positivist philosophy or the Positivism movement is an advanced evolution of English
empiricism. Empiricist philosophy inspired positivism, especially in the principle of the objectivity of
scientific knowledge. Empiricists believe that everything in the universe can be accessible through sensory
data; in other words, human knowledge must begin with empirical-sensory observations.
Positivism develops empirical claims about knowledge, stating that the pinnacle of human
knowledge lies in sciences based on hard facts (measurable and observable), known as positive sciences. In
the view of the Positivism philosophical movement, philosophy has no other function than serving as the
methodology of science. Its task is to discover common principles applicable to all sciences and use these
principles as a guide for human behavior and the foundation for the social regulation of society. Positivism
believes that society will progress by adopting a total scientific and technological approach. In other words,
this movement highly values the position of science and is very optimistic about its social role in promoting
human well-being. The slogan that emerged for Positivism is "savoir pour prevoir, prevoir pour pouvoir,"
which translates to "knowing to foresee, foreseeing to be able to act" [5].

2. RESEARCH METHODS

To assist in data search, this paper was created using the method of library research or literature
review. The literature review method is a study used to gather information and data with the help of various
materials available in the library, such as documents, books, magazines, and so on [6]. This method is chosen
because it is not feasible to conduct field research and inquire directly from thinkers, in this case, August Comte.
Simply put, a literature review involves a critical analysis of written sources (literature) on a specific topic, and
the preparation of this article follows the principles of scientific writing in several ways, such as dissecting,
comparing, summarizing, and collecting literary sources [7].

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Auguste Comte's Three Stage Law

Auguste Comte came from a family with expertise in mathematics, although his academic
background primarily focused on physics. Therefore, he endeavored to apply the natural science method of
thinking to understand humans as social beings. Comte is known as a proponent of positivism, believing that
society is an integral part of nature. According to Comte, each society has similar patterns (laws) in its
processes of change. The task of sociology, in Comte's view, is to study and discover these similar social
laws. The discovery of these laws is expected to facilitate predicting the development of a society [8].
Therefore, empirical research methods become effective tools for discovering social laws in society.
In the study of social science, Comte divided it into two fields: social statics and social dynamics.
Social statics refers to the theory of the regularities that emerge without a plan in human society (theory of
spontaneous order in human society) [9] or existing social structures [3]. These structures tend to remain

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stable over a long period. This concept is rooted in the assumption that society is an organism unified through
consensus, creating harmonious relationships within it (Martono, 2016: 60). However, social statics is
essentially the most basic part of sociology, although not the primary part of sociological studies, because
fundamentally, social statics emerges as a result of a growth process [10].
Social dynamics, on the other hand, is the theory of the natural progress of human society, or the
theory of the development and progress of society, or the study of the sequence of human development [9,8].
This study refers to the discussion of the processes of social change in human society. According to Auguste
Comte, social dynamics is the most important part of sociological studies because, through positive science,
it can overcome the speculative nature brought by philosophy in maintaining the order of existing social
structures [11].
The division of sociology into these two parts does not imply a complete separation between them.
Analogous to a house, social statics is the structure of the house, relatively unchanged or static in form over a
long period, while social dynamics is the content of the house and the human activities within it. If social
statics is the study of social order among interconnected societies (social structure) and provides the most
elementary approach to sociology, the study of social relationships that occur between those parts cannot be
learned without understanding them as a result of development. Therefore, Comte argued that a proper
understanding of a social issue cannot be attained without employing social dynamics or theories of human
development [10].
Auguste Comte's thoughts on social theory were influenced by the social and political upheavals
occurring in France. The upheaval, known as the French Revolution, resulted in destruction and anarchy
experienced by the French society. The community was threatened by intellectual and socio-political chaos in
the pursuit of a more organized life. Consequently, French intellectuals were inclined to cling to the belief in
returning to the Middle Ages. This stance was criticized and protested by Auguste Comte, who argued that it
was impossible to revert to the Middle Ages, where advancements in science and industry during the
Enlightenment made such a regression impractical and absurd [3].
In Bryan S. Turner's view, Enlightenment social thought is characterized by a particular utopianism,
reflecting a belief in the promises of modernity to bring about freedom. Unlike preceding social thought,
Enlightenment social thought demonstrates a profound belief in the power of human agency to shape the
future. It seems that the influence of utopian thinking and concerns about the orderliness of social structures
during the French Revolution also played a role in shaping Comte's beliefs in rationality [11].
The utopian thinking emerged from society's demands for the necessity of freedom, equality, and
unity, as well as the requirements for intellectual morality and philosophical independence, which would later
become pivotal in the historical birth of 18th-century thinkers. The Enlightenment philosophers believed in
the human capacity for transforming society according to unlimited scientific principles. However, Auguste
Comte was indeed influenced by this Enlightenment belief in science, but he harbored skepticism towards
conservative groups regarding Enlightenment individualism and the pressure from conservative groups
emphasizing the importance of maintaining social order against the threat of social anarchy [12].
Therefore, Comte held a rational and futuristic view of society. The occurrences of social changes in
French society that he experienced provided the scholarly foundation for Comte's theories of human progress
and social evolution. This included the moment when hereditary aristocracy could be replaced by equality,
superstition and fear could be replaced by reason and self-confidence, coerced labor could be replaced by
voluntary cooperation, and religious domination could be replaced by the dominance of knowledge [12]. In
the end, the theory proposed that there are three intellectual stages (law of three stages) that humanity goes
through throughout its history.
According to Comte, not only the world undergoes a dynamic process of evolution (natural
progress), but also groups, societies, sciences, individuals, and even human thoughts go through three stages.
The law of three stages is a formulation of the evolutionary development of societies and individuals. The
force of historical change in human society begins with the human spirit's drive to develop and progress
through their intellect. With this spirit, humans comprehend reality, make assumptions, and create methods
applied in efforts to explain, predict, and control societal life. The quality and quantity of knowledge
possessed by society continue to evolve. The degree of knowledge held by society influences or determines
all other aspects of communal life, such as the economy, politics, and military [8].
Social change always progresses from something simple towards complexity, continuously evolving
from ordinary life towards advancement. The development of social change in a society will follow a linear
pattern found in the law of three stages. This law is a generalization of each stage of human intellect that
progresses through three stages: the theological stage, the metaphysical stage, and the positive or scientific
stage [13, 14, 15, 9].
The following is an explanation regarding Auguste Comte's three-stage law:
A. First, the Theological and Military Stage (Theological). This stage is the longest period in human history
and is referred to as the era of intellectual infancy for humanity. During this stage, humans believe in the
existence of supernatural powers that arise from the forces of natural substances, talismans, or powers

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originating from outside oneself, or emerging from the influential figures of religion that are emulated by
humans. In social life, the society in this stage lives based on conquest, where social relations are
military in nature, constantly subduing and conquering other societies. Therefore, in this stage, it is also
divided into three sub-stages: fetishism, polytheism, and monotheism.
a. Fetishism is a dominant thought form in primitive societies, encompassing the belief that all objects
possess their own inherent life forces (spirits). During this stage, humans begin to believe in the
power of talismans or objects. This phase can also be described as the early stage of the theological
and military system.
b. Polytheism is an assumption that arises due to the belief in powers governing life or natural
phenomena (gods or supernatural beings). In this stage, urban life has emerged, land ownership
becomes a social institution, the caste system exists, and war is considered the only way to create or
achieve lasting political life. This phase can also be described as the development phase of the
theological and military system.
c. Monotheism is the belief in a single deity that begins to replace the multiple gods or only God who
reigns supreme and has the power to control the natural world. This phase can be considered as a
modification phase of the theological and military system. The modification of the military system
(militarism) referred to here is a social relationship in which society is military-oriented, constantly
aiming to subdue and conquer other societies.
B. Second, the Metaphysical Stage (Revolutionary Crisis). This stage is a transitional phase between the
theological and positivistic stages, hence referred to as the adolescence of human intellect. This phase is
characterized by human belief in abstract natural laws, illustrated by thinking that is philosophical,
abstract, and universal. Thus, the belief is no longer in specific gods' powers, but human thought is
constrained by philosophical and metaphysical concepts instilled by philosophers and religious figures in
an abstract and universal sense (supernatural agents are replaced by abstract forces), such as the
"Reason" of the Enlightenment Age. In social life, society is no longer military-oriented but not yet
industrial. During this period, the main goal of society is not only conquest but is strengthened by
increased production. While individual slavery systems have shifted and disappeared, the slavery owned
by producers still retains various rights in relation to the military. Therefore, there are two main
objectives: conquest and production. Producers are protected as a military resource, and war is
systematically considered essential to develop production levels. This means that this stage serves as a
bridge or transitional phase from a military (primitive) society to an industrial one.
C. Third, the Positive Stage and Science (scientific stage). This stage is the final phase in Auguste Comte's
social evolutionist thought and is considered the adulthood of human intellect. In this stage, the human
mind no longer seeks original, absolute ideas that determine the universe and cause phenomena. Instead,
the human mind begins to search for laws that determine phenomena or discovers a series of unchanging
and common relationships (thinking scientifically). In this stage, humans begin to believe in empirical
data as the ultimate but temporary source of knowledge, not absolute. However, through such social
analysis, humans can formulate consistent laws, enabling progress and advancement in the field of
science.

Contribution of Three Stage Law to Sociological Studies

In social life, humans are molded to be able to apply and utilize their intellectual faculties to master
the natural environment for the progress of a better future. Society at this stage is an industrial society, where
their relationships are the basic formations of the industrial structure. This stage indicates that industry
dominates the collective social relations of the community, organized, and production becomes the society's
primary goal.
In the development of sociology, Auguste Comte aimed for social studies to be more oriented
towards scientific aspects, so that the entire knowledge system becomes "positive" with characteristics of
certainty, precision, reality, utility, and being constructive and relative. Therefore, scientific knowledge in
social studies should be homogeneous and integrated, where all branches of social studies are encouraged to
apply positive scientific methods and establish common study objects for the progress of social civilization.
Comte believed that social studies should formulate scientific approaches, considering that the needs of
humans at that time required new (positive) methods in examining social sciences. This means not relying
solely on theories related to emotions and intellect, as developed by authorities in knowledge during the
theological and metaphysical stages. Thus, knowledge about human society needs to be expanded by
adopting scientific and industrial theories [14].
In terms of contributions, we can describe Comte's three-stage law to the study of sociology as
follows:
A. The Theological Stage or Theocratic Phase (Theological Stage):
In this stage, humans explain natural and social phenomena by referring to supernatural forces or divine

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entities. The causes of events are explained through myths, religion, and spiritual beliefs. Comte realized
that in this stage, society tends to view everything from a theological or religious perspective. His
contribution is raising awareness about the importance of understanding the history of human thought to
develop scientific methods in analyzing society.
B. The Metaphysical Stage or Metaphysical Phase (Metaphysical Stage):
In this stage, explanations of natural and social phenomena evolve from being spiritual to abstract and
philosophical concepts. Causes are explained through concepts such as natural laws or abstract entities.
Comte observed that society began to replace theological understanding with more rational explanations.
His contribution was identifying this transition as a step toward a more scientific society and laying the
foundation for the positivistic approach in sociology.
C. The Positive Stage or Positivist Phase (Positive Stage):
In this stage, humans seek explanations based on facts and empirical observations. Explanations of
natural and social phenomena no longer rely on metaphysical or theological speculation but on
measurable and observable laws. Comte proposed that the positive stage is the pinnacle of human
thought evolution, and sociology as a science should adopt a positivistic approach. His contribution was
providing a methodological foundation for sociology as a positive science, focusing on empirical
analysis and objective observation in understanding the structure and function of society.
Overall, the contribution of Comte's Three-Stage Law to the study of sociology lies in its emphasis
on the evolution of human thought towards a scientific and positivistic approach in analyzing society. His
theory helped form the foundation for the development of sociology as a science that focuses on empirical
observation and objective analysis.
In the construction of social communities, Auguste Comte sought to improve human life and
thought through his positivistic approach. Humans, both individually and socially, have the potential to reach
a scientific (positivist) level, making them a culturally rich, humane, and organized scientific society. Comte
did not intend for humans to abandon the mindset and lifestyle of the previous stages (theological and
metaphysical), but his main goal was to create a society that lives by high humanistic values. However, to
achieve this, society needs to avoid certain elements from the theological and metaphysical stages. For
example, absolute belief in theological dogmas and blind obedience to religious leaders and ideological
figures (paternalism-maternalism) should be avoided. Additionally, problem-solving approaches involving
violence (militarism), as applied in theological (primitive) societies, and the conquering of humans for the
sake of increased production and economy also need to be avoided. An ideal society places more emphasis
on science and knowledge rather than mere beliefs and obedience. Therefore, a scientific (positivist) society
is not only considered superior in intelligence but also in the social dimension. This makes such a society live
in harmony, order, and human values, avoiding brutality, violence, and the desire to conquer fellow human
beings.

4. CONCLUSION
Changes in society are inevitable as a natural part of the process of development and dynamics of
human life. This focus becomes a special concern in the field of sociology, especially in line with the views
of Auguste Comte, who emphasizes the importance of understanding the dynamic aspects of society, while
simultaneously studying social statics as the essential basis of sociology. In his theory of social change,
Comte attempts to explain these changes through three stages: Theological Stage (fictional), Metaphysical
Stage (abstract), and Positive Stage (scientific). These three stages are considered universal laws that
generalize the evolution of society throughout its history. It is important to note that the development of a
society is inseparable from the development of intelligence, which has a significant impact on all aspects of
life, including economics, politics, culture, and especially social aspects.
With the pattern present in the three-stage law, human development in the theological stage explains
that humans seek the first principle or ultimate cause of all events, linking phenomena to the powers of the
supernatural or the divine, whether arising from nature, objects, humans, or beyond. In the theological stage,
sociology is called upon to raise awareness of the importance of understanding the history of human thought
to develop scientific methods in analyzing society. Moving on to the metaphysical stage, sociology is
expected to encourage society to begin replacing theological understanding with more rational explanations,
as a step towards a more scientific society and laying the foundation for the positivistic approach in
sociology. In the last stage, the positive stage, Comte proposes that the positive stage is the pinnacle of the
evolution of human thought, and sociology as a science must adopt a positivistic approach that focuses on
empirical analysis and objective observation to understand the structure and function of society. The positive
stage is considered the peak and highest phase in the development of human intelligence, where humans seek
to understand all relationships within the order of nature through scientific approaches and empirical data,
thus shaping human intelligence for more advanced and developed living. This naturally forms societal
patterns from theological (primitive) societies, metaphysical (agrarian-dogmatic) societies to positive
(scientific-industrial) societies in life.

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