A General View of Positivism Or, Summary exposition of the System of Thought and Life · Auguste Comte
CONCLUSION. THE RELIGION OF HUMANITY 355
Recapitulation of the results obtained--Humanity is the centre to which every aspect of Positivism converges--With the discovery of sociological laws, a synthesis on the basis of Science becomes possible, science being now concentrated on the study of Humanity--Statical aspects of Humanity--Dynamical aspects--Inorganic and organic sciences elevated by their connexion with the supreme science of Humanity--The new religion is even more favourable to Art than to Science--Poetic portraiture of the new Supreme Being, and contrast with the old--Organization of festivals, representing statical and dynamical aspects of Humanity--Worship of the dead. Commemoration of their service--All the arts may co-operate in the service of religion--Positivism the successor of Christianity, and surpasses it--Superiority of Positive morality--Rise of the new Spiritual power--Temporal power will always be necessary, but its action will be modified by the spiritual--Substitution of duties for rights--Consensus of the Social Organism--Continuity of the past with the present--Necessity of a spiritual power to study and teach these truths, and thus to govern men by persuasion, instead of by compulsion--Nutritive functions of Humanity, performed by Capitalists, as the temporal power--These are modified by the cerebral functions, performed by the spiritual power--Women and priests to have their material subsistence guaranteed--Normal relation of priests, people, and capitalists--We are not yet ripe for the normal state. But the revolution of 1848 is a step towards it--First revolutionary motto; Liberty and Equality--Second motto; Liberty and Order--Third motto; Order and Progress--Provisional policy for the period of transition--Popular dictatorship with freedom of speech--Positive Committee for Western Europe--Occidental navy--International coinage--Occidental school--Flag for the Western Republic--Colonial and foreign Associates of the Committee, the action of which will ultimately extend to the whole human race--Conclusion. Perfection of the Positivist ideal--Corruption of Monotheism.
‘We tire of thinking and even of acting; we never tire of loving.’ In the following series of systematic essays upon Positivism the essential principles of the doctrine are first considered; I then point out the agencies by which its propagation will be effected; and I conclude by describing certain additional features indispensable to its completeness. My treatment of these questions will of course be summary; yet it will suffice, I hope, to overcome several excusable but unfounded prejudices. It will enable any competent reader to assure himself that the new general doctrine aims at something more than satisfying the Intellect; that it is in reality quite as favourable to Feeling and even to Imagination.
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