Auguste Comte, the founder of sociology and the doctrine of positivism, believed that feeling, specifically social sympathy or “we-feeling” (a form of all-embracing humanist love), was the key to social unity.
Comte’s Philosophy on Feeling
- Primacy of Feeling: Comte ultimately concluded that feelings, not reason alone, were the core to achieving social harmony. He argued that while practical life might still be regulated by interested motives (self-love), combining reason and sympathy could introduce a far higher standard of morality.
- The “Religion of Humanity”: This focus on feeling is central to his later work, particularly in his multi-volume System of Positive Polity, or Treatise on Sociology, Instituting the Religion of Humanity. He proposed this “religion” to replace traditional worship of God with the worship of humanity itself, aiming to cultivate a spirit of universal brotherhood.
- Altruism: As part of this system, Comte coined the term “altruism” to describe the benevolent instinct he believed humans possess, though he recognized it was a weak instinct that required nurturing by good social institutions.
- Goal: The whole effect of this positivist approach was to make individuals feel clearly how superior the synthesis founded on the love of humanity was to other systems. He saw genuine humanitarian work not as encouraging animal instincts, but as enlightening people about the true goal of life and fostering a sense of shared purpose.
In essence, Comte saw “we-feeling” as the emotional engine for achieving a stable, unified, and progressive positive society.
In this context, see my earlier post “Why Love is Central to Morality” – https://selfrealization.blog/2025/09/09/why-love-is-central-to-morality/
Know Thyself 