THE PHILOSOPHY OF AUGUSTE COMTE RECONSIDERED. 263 



The Author. — Yes. 



Rev. H. Elcum. — Or is he speaking of the mere general working 

 out of the human mind ? 



The Author.— In reply to the last speaker, I should say that 

 Comte endeavours to work out the three successive stages in every 

 science — not in very full detail, but still in a general manner. For 

 instance, he thinks that chemistry began with alchemy, in which 

 every object and every process was personified or supposed to be 

 acted on by an indwelling spirit. Then it went on to the meta- 

 physical and supposed certain abstract entities, and finally, to its 

 positive stage as it is in the present day when we confine our- 

 selves to phenomena. That is not quite correct, however. We 

 do not confine ourselves to phenomena, for we endeavour to find 

 out cause, and the more progress we make in that direction the 

 greater the discoveries that crown our efforts. If I had had 

 more time at my disposal, or if I could have ventured to take up 

 the time of the Society to any greater extent, I might have shown 

 how Comte sub-divides his stages ; for in personifying the epoch, ho 

 supposes man to be in a state of fetichism, considering that stocks 

 and stones were really power's to be called upon to assist us in our 

 undertakings or to be entreated not to interfere with us. 



Then comes the second stage — the polytheistic — where a number 

 of false gods were assumed by different nations ; and then comes 

 monotheism, under which, if we may judge from Comte's language, 

 he regrets we are still labouring. 



It has been remarked that I did not do well, perhaps, to refer to 

 Comte's private life. Had he been a man of science "pure and 

 simple," to borrow a French expression, I should have made no 

 reference to his private life whatever ; but as he posed as a 

 reformer of the whole spiritual life of man, or took upon him- 

 self that role, 1 thought myself perfectly justified in showing that 

 in his own person his ideas did not work in a very brilliant 

 manner. 



The meeting was then adjourned. 



