Auguste Comte and Consensus Formation in American Religious Thought—Part 2: Twilight of New England Comtism
Auguste Comte was the most influential sociologist and philosopher of science in the Nineteenth Century. Part 1 summarized his works and analyzed reactions to them by Transcendentalists and Unitarians from 1837 until just after the Civil War. Part 2 examines in detail the post-war Transcendentalist...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2017-08-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/8/8/151 |
| _version_ | 1818959310272593920 |
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| author | Kenneth S. Sacks |
| author_facet | Kenneth S. Sacks |
| author_sort | Kenneth S. Sacks |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Auguste Comte was the most influential sociologist and philosopher of science in the Nineteenth Century. Part 1 summarized his works and analyzed reactions to them by Transcendentalists and Unitarians from 1837 until just after the Civil War. Part 2 examines in detail the post-war Transcendentalist and liberal Unitarian institutions of the Free Religious Association and the Radical Club and their different approaches to spiritual faith based on intuitionalism and reliance on scientific proof. In the background to their disputes is the positivism of Auguste Comte, who served as an easy source of common criticism. But at the same time as they wrote against positivism, both intuitionalists and those who relied on science were significantly influenced by Comte. Once again, as in part 1, a community of discourse was formed through the need to create social bonds at the expense of careful evaluation of the philosophy they criticized. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T11:39:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b919a3de40ee4153b6561a87b1034893 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T11:39:36Z |
| publishDate | 2017-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-b919a3de40ee4153b6561a87b10348932022-12-21T19:42:00ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442017-08-018815110.3390/rel8080151rel8080151Auguste Comte and Consensus Formation in American Religious Thought—Part 2: Twilight of New England ComtismKenneth S. Sacks0Department of History, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USAAuguste Comte was the most influential sociologist and philosopher of science in the Nineteenth Century. Part 1 summarized his works and analyzed reactions to them by Transcendentalists and Unitarians from 1837 until just after the Civil War. Part 2 examines in detail the post-war Transcendentalist and liberal Unitarian institutions of the Free Religious Association and the Radical Club and their different approaches to spiritual faith based on intuitionalism and reliance on scientific proof. In the background to their disputes is the positivism of Auguste Comte, who served as an easy source of common criticism. But at the same time as they wrote against positivism, both intuitionalists and those who relied on science were significantly influenced by Comte. Once again, as in part 1, a community of discourse was formed through the need to create social bonds at the expense of careful evaluation of the philosophy they criticized.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/8/8/151ComtepositivismintuitionalismUnitarianismFree Religious AssociationRadical ClubFrancis Ellingwood AbbotOctavius Brooks FrothinghamThomas Wentworth Higginson |
| spellingShingle | Kenneth S. Sacks Auguste Comte and Consensus Formation in American Religious Thought—Part 2: Twilight of New England Comtism Religions Comte positivism intuitionalism Unitarianism Free Religious Association Radical Club Francis Ellingwood Abbot Octavius Brooks Frothingham Thomas Wentworth Higginson |
| title | Auguste Comte and Consensus Formation in American Religious Thought—Part 2: Twilight of New England Comtism |
| title_full | Auguste Comte and Consensus Formation in American Religious Thought—Part 2: Twilight of New England Comtism |
| title_fullStr | Auguste Comte and Consensus Formation in American Religious Thought—Part 2: Twilight of New England Comtism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Auguste Comte and Consensus Formation in American Religious Thought—Part 2: Twilight of New England Comtism |
| title_short | Auguste Comte and Consensus Formation in American Religious Thought—Part 2: Twilight of New England Comtism |
| title_sort | auguste comte and consensus formation in american religious thought part 2 twilight of new england comtism |
| topic | Comte positivism intuitionalism Unitarianism Free Religious Association Radical Club Francis Ellingwood Abbot Octavius Brooks Frothingham Thomas Wentworth Higginson |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/8/8/151 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kennethssacks augustecomteandconsensusformationinamericanreligiousthoughtpart2twilightofnewenglandcomtism |