oh. viii.] ORGANIZATION OF THE SCIENCES. 193 



according to Comte, is of itself competent to include all the 

 phenomena presented by vegetables and by the lower 

 animals, as well as all those presented by individual man. 

 But in the case of man, the aggregation of individuals gives 

 rise to an entirely new class of phenomena produced by the 

 reaction of individuals upon each other. To generalize the 

 laws of this class of phenomena is the business of sociology, 

 which is thus manifestly the most complex and special of 

 the sciences. 



According to Comte, this disposes of all the fundamental 

 abstract sciences, except mathematics. This science he 

 places first of all, the phenomena of number and form being 

 universal, and capable of generalization without reference 

 to other phenomena. 



Thus we have the hierarchy of the positive sciences 

 arranged in the following order : — 

 I. Mathematics. 

 II. Astronomy. 



III. Physics. 



IV. Chemistry. 

 V. Biology. 



VI. Sociology. 



In each of these sciences, there are several subdivisions 

 which Comte endeavours to arrange, wherever 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 similar 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 intermediate 

 branches, acoustics, optics, and thermology, would now be 

 ranked in the order in which I have named them; but 



VOL. L O 



