, reveals a law of three stages that govern human development. He analyzed these stages in his major work, the six-volume Course of Positive Philosophy (1830-42; trans. 1853). Because of the nature of the human mind, each science or branch of knowledge passes through "three different theoretical states: the theological or fictitious state; the metaphysical or abstract state; and, lastly, the scientific or positive state." At the theological stage, events are immaturely explained by appealing to the will of the gods or of God. At the metaphysical stage phenomena are explained by appealing to abstract philosophical categories. The final evolutionary stage, the scientific, involves relinquishing any quest for absolute explanations of causes. Attention is focused altogether on how phenomena are related, with the aim of arriving at generalizations subject to observational verification. Comte's work is considered the classical expression of the positivist attitude—namely, that the empirical sciences are the only adequate source of knowledge. Although he rejected belief in a transcendent being, Comte recognized the value of religion in contributing to social stability. In his four-volume System of Positive Policy (1851-54; trans. 1875-77), he proposed his religion of humanity, aimed at encouraging socially beneficial behavior. Comte's chief significance, however, derives from his role in the historical development of positivism. British Empiricism (again, no photo available and I don’t think this one is dead….yet) refers to the 18th century philosophical movement in Great Britain which maintained that all knowledge comes from experience. 18th century British Empiricists took their cue from Francis Bacon who, in the very first aphorism of his New Organon, hails the primacy of experience, particularly the observation of nature: Humans, who are the servants and interpreters of nature, can act and understand no further than they ...
