311 



POSITIVISM 



light of a new synthesis. What, then, arc the evil* 

 or imperfection* of our lot which nnty be remedied 

 by applying positive philosophy t<> life? Cosmical 

 laws are wholly beyond our direct influence, ami 

 we can only to a limited extent affect the condi- 

 tions of their action. Hut in the science of man 

 we ourselves are the factor*, and our efforts to 

 modify our environment form the subjective aspect 

 of what is, objectively considered, a law of social 

 development. 



i 'unite believed the In -t requisite of systematic 

 action to be the recognition of acentral intellectual 

 and moral authority dissociated from practical poli- 

 tics, which lie proposed to secure by organising a 

 Spiritual Power, consisting of philosophers, sup- 

 ported by the state. This clans, exerting a purely 

 moral control, yet supreme in all affairs of private 

 and social life in virtue of ita natural pn--t igo, would 

 have only an indirect influence on political action. 

 The temporal power should l>e in the hands of 

 capitalists, the captains of industry chosen by 

 their own order and naming their successors who 

 would feel a moral responsibility to the spiritual 

 power, especially when the authority of the thinkers 

 should be strengthened by the support of women 

 and of the working-classes, whose ready adherence 

 to positive principles Comte firmly anticipated. 

 Besides the corrective influence of each of these 

 powers on the other, an efficient check on despotic 

 control on the part of either is provided in the per- 

 fect freedom of opinion and expression allowed a 

 freedom the more valuable that it would rest on a 

 system of scientific and moral education, which it 

 would lie one of the chief functions of the spiritual 

 jMiwer to direct and enforce. 



\Viili the decline of militarism and the growth 

 of industrialism Comte foresaw that political action 

 would in the future be mainly directed on the 

 organisation of lalmnr for the benefit of society at 

 large. No idleness would lie permitted ; all would 

 be workers. The distinction between the capital- 

 ists and the workmen, the rich and the relatively 

 poor, would remain ; lint the former would lie 

 taught to hold their wealth and power as in 

 trust from society to be used for the benefit of 

 all, while the latter would also come to regard 

 themselves as performing public functions, serving 

 society each in his place. These views are sub- 

 stantially similar to such more recent economic 

 teaching as that of ( 'ail vie and Kuskin in Great 

 Britain. 



In the sphere of murals the main office of the 

 spiritual power would lie to strengthen the social 

 tendencies of man at the expense of the personal, 

 a process made possible by the development of the 

 affections originally called forth in family life. In 

 the sphere of intellect it should regulate ami con- 

 centrate the lahouis of its memlier-. pulling an 

 end to the present % dis|>crsive s|>eciality ' of scien- 

 tific aims, and determining tin- direction of all 

 intellectual efforte by reference to social needs. 

 In puisnatice of the constructive principle of I'osi 

 livism Comte applies (]-< general doctrines to 

 the immediate future, by propounding a scheme 

 of concerted action for a great Western Republic, 

 embracing tin' French, Knglish, (ierinan, Italian. 

 and Spanish nations an organisation imperfectly 

 effected by the influence of Feudalism and Chris- 

 tian r 



Pottiivitt Religion.- Such are the creed and the 

 practice of I'o-it i\ ism. lint a religion is more than 

 creed and practice : there must lie a sentiment, an 

 ajipcal to the In-Hit, a satisfaction of the feelings. 

 The conception of an object of love and reverence 

 proponed by Comte to succeed the idea of a Deity 

 (wlione existence he considered it impossible cither 

 to affirm or deny) is that of llntimiiiiy, regarded 

 M a collective unity, a great being, consisting of 



all the men and women past, present, and to come, 

 whose lives have lieen or shall be devoted to the 

 well -being and progress of the race. This lioing, 

 partly ideal yet wholly real, capable of lieing 

 definitely conceived, and not beyond the reach of 

 our services, would gather round it all our alli-e 



lion* for our fellow i i; gratitude and reverence 



for those whose struggles ami achievements in the 

 past have made us what we are; love ami sym- 

 pathy for all arc. mi, I us who ate striving after 

 tietter things; hope and effort for (lie more pet 

 feet life of those vet nnl>oni. Comte looked on 

 the religion of Humanity as fulfilling all the 

 highest aims sought by the religions of the past, 

 and es|M-<-ially as succeeding naturally to Chris 

 tianity, the historical value of which he thoroughly 

 appreciated as a transitional phase of religious 

 development. The worship of Humanity was to- 

 consist ill prayer, taking the form of high resolve 

 strengthened by effort after ideal communion with 

 the noble spirits among the dead ; and in public 

 commemorations, for the observance of which 

 a calendar was suggested, associating each day 

 of the \eai with some great name in the roll 

 of mankind, and arranged so as to illustrate the 

 course of human progress. The spiritual power 

 would carry on the trail it ions of the priesthood* 

 of former religions, preaching self-abnegation as 

 the rule of life that brings the highest happiness, 

 and offering no reward, save a place in the 'choir 

 invisible' of the great and good, whose names are 

 cherished in the hearts of those who follow them, 

 and whose influence will live to the end of 

 time. 



Positivism is of too recent origin to be adequately 

 triMtcd except in an account of its genesis, and the above 

 outline of the system has therefore been entirely con- 

 fined to the works of its founder. In his lifetime Conite 

 attached to himself a body of disciples more remarkable 

 for intellectual eminence than for numbers. The most 

 prominent of these was M. l.ittrc (q.v. ), who afterwards 

 edited his master's works, and established a review with 

 the title of La Philonofihif Potritire. His discipleship, 

 however, did not extend to the later developments of the 

 system. Near the end of his life Corate founded the 

 Positivist Society, an organisation whk-h still has its head- 

 quarters in Paris ; but it lias extended to most other coun- 

 tries, and the number of adherents increases slowly but 

 steadily. The Revue Occidentalt, their organ in the 

 press, is published quarterly in Paris. Among the best 

 known or the Kiiglish Positivists are Dr Congreve, Mr 

 Fn-deric Harrison, Dr Bridges, and Professor Beeslv, 

 who have translated Comte's chief works and have pub- 

 lished many expository and illustrative papers and ad- 

 dresses. There are two centres of Positivist activity in 

 London, each with connections in other large towns. 

 One of these, which is presided over by Dr Congreve, 

 ha* introduced more of a ritual into its services; while 

 the best-known group, associated chiefly with the name 

 of Mr Frederic Harrison, and having its headquarters at 

 Newton Hall, Fetter Line, devotes itself mainly to ex- 

 tending a knowledge of the system by public addresses 

 and various forms of practical effort. 



Among sympathetic critics of Positivism are many 

 thinkers of nnim-ncc imbued with the positive spirit, 

 and more or less indebted to the genius of Comte. Stuart 

 Mill, in his work on Atlantic Comte and Positivism 

 ( 1865 ), though taking an independent standpoint, speaks 

 in terms of high appreciation not only of the leading 

 doctrines of the po-itive philosophy, but also of the 

 conception of humanity as a Graiul Etrf, which is the 

 keystone of the new religion. Many of the details of 

 ritual and worship, however, were repugnant to him, 

 as they have proved to many ; and, while exaggerating 

 the importance of these, he makes an arbitrary separa- 

 tion between the earlier and the later portions of Comte's 

 career. His hook should be read along with Dr Bridges' 

 r. ply, entitled Tlic Unity of ComtJi Life and I><u-trin-* 

 (1HH>). Mr llirlrt Spencer has taken more pains to 

 vindicate his independence of Comte than to acknow- 

 ledge his obligation to him. His references to his great 

 predecessor mostly concern their disagreements. Ii 



