AUGUSTE COMTE 21 



The impelling factor in progress according to our author is the 

 affectional nature or heart including the appetites, passions and 

 sentiments ^ or about what Ward ^ means by desires and Ratzen- 

 hofer ^ and Small ^ by interests; the guiding factor, however, is 

 the intellect going through the three stages of development both 

 in the individual and in civilization as a whole. Although there 

 is in the individual and society a tendency to development, 

 there are certain accelerating factors such as ennui, duration of 

 Hfe and increase of population.^ Race and climate are factors to 

 be reckoned with and also, within narrow limits, poUtical action.^ 

 A consideration of the last gives occasion for the exposition of his 

 doctrine of poHtical opportunism, an exceedingly suggestive and 

 valuable contribution to poHtical economy. This is a corollary 

 of his general theories of social evolution and relativism, and 

 signifies merely that society cannot be radically changed by 

 legislation which is the expression of the will of an individ- 

 ual or of collective individuals. Comte holds that the aim of 

 legislation should be rather to accelerate the general movement of 

 evolution. All laws to be effective must be in harmony with the 

 social Hfe and traditions of the people. 



After this brief survey we are prepared to consider Comte's 

 contribution to the development of the doctrine of adaptation as 

 a theory of social progress. To be sure Comte did not use the 

 phrase or analyze the doctrine as have later writers but we find 

 with him the kernel which has come to such rich fruitage since. 



Passive Physical Adaptation. — Before Comte's time Montes- 

 quieu, Lamarck and others had emphasized the influence of the 

 material environment on the organism and on society. Comte, 

 though not going so far as some, yet recognized this factor.^ 

 " It is plain that society, as well as individual beings," he says, 

 " is affected by the circumstances of the earth's daily rotation and 



^ Positive Philosophy, ii, pp. 8$, 128-130, 156, 257; Catechism, p. 234. In the 

 Polity heart equals sympathy plus energy. Cf. A General View, pp. 119 f. 



2 Pure Sociology, pp. loi f. •* General Sociology, chs. XXXI, XXXII. 



3 Infra, ch. IX. ^ Positive Philosophy, ii, pp. 152 flf. 



^ Ihid., ii, pp. 90-92. Public opinion is given prominence in the Polity. Cf, 

 A General View, ch. III. 



"^ Positive Philosophy, ii, pp. 57, 116 f. 



