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Sociological Thought Sukanya Das, Lovely Professional University

notes unit-4: Law of three stages

contents
Objectives
Introduction

4.1 Law of Three Stages
4.2 Summary
4.3 Keywords
4.4 Review Questions
4.5 Further Readings

objectives

After studying this unit, the students will be able to:
y Knowing the rules of the three stages described by Auguste Comte,
y The religious, metaphysical and positive/scientific stages within the three stages and their
extensive knowledge,
y To present a description of the development of society based on the rules of the three stages.

introduction

The laws of development apply to the entire society. When society is in the religious stage, then the
influence of kings, emperors, army and priests is maximum. Otherwise one can say that the social
system parallels the development of the mind. When the mind comes into the metaphysical stage, its
thinking changes, and its negates any kind of divinity. When man’s development reaches the scientific
stage, then he puts every object, event, evidence to the text of reason and logic. He even challenges
the existence of god.

4.1 Law of three stages

Within the field of social thinking, the law of three stages, is an important contribution of Comtes. By
1822 itself, he had brought out this law, that by studying man’s intellectual development it became
clear that there are three chronological stages of development.
These stage given below are :
1. Theological/Religious stage,
2. Metaphysical Stage,
3. Scientific or Positive Stage.
Comte has written, “After studying human intellectual development in all societies and ages, we
discover the fundamental rule whose solid proof we find on one hand in the reality in our organizations,

16 LoVeLY professionaL uniVersitY