Positivist Stage
Focuses of sociological inquiry
Theological Stage
Law of Three Stages
Social Statics
Sociological Imagination
Social Dynamics
Metaphysical Stage
attention focuses on observation and the scientific method; scientists become society's leaders; industry becomes the most prominent social structure, and social integration is maintained through mutual dependence and coordination of functions.
Social structure How this society compares to other time periods Characteristics of people who succeed or fail
gives us the ability to see the interaction between our biography and history
people attribute everything to deities and the supernatural; priests and spiritual guides are the community leaders. The Social Structure is based on kinship and strong attachment to the small group; social integration is maintained via coercive commitment to religion.
the principles that hold societies together and maintain order. The three unifying factors are language, religion, and the division of labor
studies the patterns of change in social systems over time. According to Comte, societies and science develop by progressing through what he called the Law of Three Stages
Societies follow a predictable pattern of development and evolution through theological, metaphysical, and positivist stages
people focus on the essence of phenomena; philosophers serve as leaders because they provide insight into the meaning and essence of events and knowledge; the state is the most prominent social structure; the state, military, and the law are agents of social integration.
