ORGANIZATION OF THE SCIENCES 



IV. Chemistry. 

 V. Biology. 



VI. Sociology. 



In each of these sciences there are several 

 subdivisions, which Comte endeavours to ar- 

 range, whenever it is possible, according to the 

 same general principle of convenience. In 

 mathematics he places algebra before geometry, 

 on the ground that we can study number by 

 itself, but in order to study form we must make 

 use of sundry laws of number ; and for a simi- 

 lar reason, mechanics, which involves time and. 

 motion, is placed subsequent to the other two. 

 In physics, barology, or the general doctrine of 

 weight and pressure, is placed first, as nearest 

 akin to astronomy ; and electrology is placed 

 last, as nearest akin to chemistry. The inter- 

 mediate branches, acoustics, optics, and ther- 

 mology, would now be ranked in the order in 

 which I have named them ; but Comte ranked 

 thermology first, probably because of the en- 

 thusiasm aroused in him by his friend Fourier's 

 achievement in bringing the general doctrine 

 of thermal expansion and contraction so thor- 

 oughly under the sway of mathematical analy- 

 sis. In biology, anatomy, or the study of 

 structure, is placed before physiology, or the 

 study of function ; and the study of the vege- 

 tal or nutritive functions precedes that of the 

 animal or nervo-muscular functions. In socio- 

 II 



