Short, point-to-point notes on A. Comte (Law of Three Stages, Positivism, Social Statics & Dynamics, Hierarchy of Sciences).

 

Auguste Comte — Quick Notes & 50 MCQs (Law of Three Stages, Positivism, Social Statics & Dynamics, Hierarchy of Sciences)

Concise, exam-ready notes + 50 practice multiple-choice questions with answers. Ideal for sociology students and teachers.

Short point-to-point notes on Auguste Comte

1. Law of Three Stages

• Theological Stage: Explanations via gods, spirits; fictitious authority; early human thought.
• Metaphysical Stage: Transitional; abstract forces or essences replace gods; philosophical speculation.
• Positive Stage: Scientific thinking based on observation, experimentation, laws of phenomena; rejection of metaphysics.
• Direction: Each stage succeeds the previous as social thought matures.
• Implication: Social progress is intellectual — knowledge becomes more empirical and systematic.

2. Positivism (Core ideas)

• Knowledge must be grounded in observable facts and verified by scientific method.
• Science provides laws which explain social phenomena; sociology is the highest empirical science of society.
• Rejects speculative metaphysics and theological explanations for social order.
• Emphasizes classification, measurement, and comparison.

3. Social Statics and Social Dynamics

• Social Statics: Study of social structure, institutions, norms, values — conditions that maintain social order and cohesion.
• Social Dynamics: Study of processes of social change, development, evolution of societies over time.
• Comte considered both necessary for a full science of society — statics explains order, dynamics explains progress.

4. Hierarchy of Sciences

• Comte's pyramid: Mathematics → Astronomy → Physics → Chemistry → Biology → Sociology.
• Sociology (or social physics) is at top: most complex, studies society as an integrated system.
• Lower sciences provide methods and laws that higher sciences build upon.

5. Other key points

• Comte coined the term "sociology" (originally 'social physics').
• He emphasized moral and intellectual reform — wanted an organized positive religion of humanity (later stage of his thought).
• Method: observation, comparison, experimentation, historical analysis.

50 Multiple Choice Questions (Comte) — Practice with Answers

Click each question to reveal the answer. Use these for classroom tests, quick revision, or MCQ practice.

1. Q1. Comte is known as the father of:
   • A. Anthropology    B. Sociology    C. Psychology    D. Economics
   Answer

   Answer: B. Sociology

2. Q2. The three stages in Comte's law are:
   • A. Primitive, Industrial, Modern    B. Theological, Metaphysical, Positive    C. Divine, Human, Scientific    D. Religious, Political, Scientific
   Answer

   Answer: B. Theological, Metaphysical, Positive

3. Q3. In which stage does Comte place scientific reasoning?
   • A. Theological    B. Metaphysical    C. Positive    D. Mythical
   Answer

   Answer: C. Positive

4. Q4. Which of the following is NOT part of Comte's hierarchy of sciences?
   • A. Physics    B. Chemistry    C. Sociology    D. Astrology
   Answer

   Answer: D. Astrology

5. Q5. Comte divided sociology into:
   • A. Macro and Micro    B. Social Statics and Social Dynamics    C. Functionalism and Conflict    D. Structure and Agency
   Answer

   Answer: B. Social Statics and Social Dynamics

6. Q6. According to Comte, which science comes immediately before sociology in the hierarchy?
   • A. Biology    B. Chemistry    C. Physics    D. Mathematics
   Answer

   Answer: A. Biology

7. Q7. Positivism emphasizes:
   • A. Metaphysical speculation    B. Empirical observation and scientific method    C. Religious doctrine    D. Intuition only
   Answer

   Answer: B. Empirical observation and scientific method

8. Q8. Who coined the term 'sociology'?
   • A. Karl Marx    B. Émile Durkheim    C. Auguste Comte    D. Max Weber
   Answer

   Answer: C. Auguste Comte

9. Q9. Theological stage is characterized by:
   • A. Scientific laws    B. Abstract reasoning    C. Belief in supernatural agents    D. Statistical methods
   Answer

   Answer: C. Belief in supernatural agents

10. Q10. Comte's sociology is primarily:
    • A. Normative    B. Empirical    C. Literary    D. Legal
    Answer

    Answer: B. Empirical

11. Q11. Comte believed the highest aim of sociology was:
    • A. Accumulation of wealth    B. Moral order and social progress    C. Political dominance    D. Artistic expression
    Answer

    Answer: B. Moral order and social progress

12. Q12. Which method did Comte emphasize most for sociology?
    • A. Speculation    B. Empirical observation    C. Astrological prediction    D. Divine revelation
    Answer

    Answer: B. Empirical observation

13. Q13. Comte’s “positive” approach primarily rejects:
    • A. Observation    B. Metaphysics    C. Classification    D. Experimentation
    Answer

    Answer: B. Metaphysics

14. Q14. Social statics studies:
    • A. Social change    B. Laws of social order and structure    C. Biological evolution    D. Economic growth
    Answer

    Answer: B. Laws of social order and structure

15. Q15. Social dynamics is concerned with:
    • A. Social order only    B. Processes of social change    C. Chemical reactions    D. Astronomical events
    Answer

    Answer: B. Processes of social change

16. Q16. Comte's idea of progress was:
    • A. Cyclical    B. Linear and cumulative    C. Random    D. Regressive
    Answer

    Answer: B. Linear and cumulative

17. Q17. Which of the following is a method of positivist sociology?
    • A. Dialectical speculation    B. Observation and classification    C. Divine command    D. Mystical intuition
    Answer

    Answer: B. Observation and classification

18. Q18. The metaphysical stage is mainly characterized by:
    • A. Supernatural explanations    B. Abstract philosophical concepts replacing gods    C. Scientific empiricism    D. Industrial technology
    Answer

    Answer: B. Abstract philosophical concepts replacing gods

19. Q19. Comte thought that sociology should be based on:
    • A. Ethics only    B. Empirical laws like natural sciences    C. Political ideology    D. Mythology
    Answer

    Answer: B. Empirical laws like natural sciences

20. Q20. According to Comte, what is the chief object of sociology?
    • A. Study of celestial bodies    B. Study of human society and social laws    C. Study of plants    D. Study of chemical elements
    Answer

    Answer: B. Study of human society and social laws

21. Q21. Comte’s classification of sciences shows that sociology is:
    • A. The simplest science    B. The most complex and highest science    C. Unrelated to other sciences    D. The least important
    Answer

    Answer: B. The most complex and highest science

22. Q22. Who influenced Comte’s idea of hierarchy of sciences?
    • A. Newtonian idea of orderly laws    B. Marxist dialectics    C. Darwin's evolution    D. Psychoanalysis
    Answer

    Answer: A. Newtonian idea of orderly laws

23. Q23. Comte believed the study of society required:
    • A. Pure speculation    B. Systematic observation and classification    C. Fortune-telling    D. Ritual practices
    Answer

    Answer: B. Systematic observation and classification

24. Q24. Comte's positivism is closest to which modern approach?
    • A. Interpretivism    B. Empiricism and scientific sociology    C. Postmodernism    D. Hermeneutics
    Answer

    Answer: B. Empiricism and scientific sociology

25. Q25. Comte argued that knowledge grows from:
    • A. Faith to reason to science    B. Science to faith to myth    C. Reason to faith to myth    D. Faith directly to science
    Answer

    Answer: A. Faith to reason to science (Theological → Metaphysical → Positive)

26. Q26. Comte’s later work proposed:
    • A. A 'Religion of Humanity'    B. A theocracy    C. Abolition of moral norms    D. Return to the supernatural
    Answer

    Answer: A. A 'Religion of Humanity'

27. Q27. Comte used the word 'positive' to mean:
    • A. Optimistic only    B. Based on positive (observable) knowledge    C. Negative criticism    D. Spiritual truth
    Answer

    Answer: B. Based on positive (observable) knowledge

28. Q28. Which stage is most associated with abstract philosophical causes?
    • A. Theological    B. Metaphysical    C. Positive    D. Scientific
    Answer

    Answer: B. Metaphysical

29. Q29. Comte believed that social laws would be discovered by:
    • A. Revelation    B. Scientific method    C. Random guesses    D. Astrology
    Answer

    Answer: B. Scientific method

30. Q30. Which of the following best describes Comte's view of progress?
    • A. Moral and intellectual improvement guided by science    B. Inevitable collapse of society    C. No progress is possible    D. Only technological change matters
    Answer

    Answer: A. Moral and intellectual improvement guided by science

31. Q31. The theological stage can be subdivided into:
    • A. Fetishism, Polytheism, Monotheism    B. Myth, Legend, Folktale    C. Ritual, Ceremony, Doctrine    D. Primitive, Medieval, Modern
    Answer

    Answer: A. Fetishism, Polytheism, Monotheism

32. Q32. Comte’s positivism influenced which later sociologist strongly?
    • A. Émile Durkheim    B. Karl Marx    C. Max Weber    D. Georg Simmel
    Answer

    Answer: A. Émile Durkheim

33. Q33. Comte's approach to social science can be classified as:
    • A. Normative    B. Scientific-empirical    C. Literary    D. Mystical
    Answer

    Answer: B. Scientific-empirical

34. Q34. In Comte’s scheme, which is considered the foundation science?
    • A. Mathematics    B. Chemistry    C. Sociology    D. Biology
    Answer

    Answer: A. Mathematics

35. Q35. Comte’s motto of positivism can be summarized as:
    • A. Observe, classify, generalize    B. Worship only    C. Revolt and overthrow    D. Emphasize metaphysics
    Answer

    Answer: A. Observe, classify, generalize

36. Q36. Which concept emphasizes stable institutions and social order?
    • A. Social dynamics    B. Social statics    C. Social revolution    D. Social chaos
    Answer

    Answer: B. Social statics

37. Q37. The positive stage values:
    • A. Dogma    B. Superstition    C. Verifiable facts    D. Prophecy
    Answer

    Answer: C. Verifiable facts

38. Q38. According to Comte, what determines the place of a science in the hierarchy?
    • A. Popularity    B. Simplicity to complexity and dependence on prior sciences    C. Government funding    D. Age of practitioners
    Answer

    Answer: B. Simplicity to complexity and dependence on prior sciences

39. Q39. Comte saw sociology as primarily concerned with:
    • A. Individual cognition    B. Society as a whole and social laws    C. Plant taxonomy    D. Chemical composition
    Answer

    Answer: B. Society as a whole and social laws

40. Q40. Which of the following is a criticism often raised against Comte?
    • A. Overemphasis on metaphysics    B. Overconfidence in science as sole source of truth    C. Excessive focus on art    D. Lack of classification
    Answer

    Answer: B. Overconfidence in science as sole source of truth

41. Q41. Comte’s positivism influenced the development of:
    • A. Psychoanalysis    B. Scientific sociology and social statistics    C. Romantic literature    D. Theocracy
    Answer

    Answer: B. Scientific sociology and social statistics

42. Q42. Comte emphasized which of these for studying societies historically?
    • A. Myth    B. Comparative-historical method    C. Divination    D. Astrology
    Answer

    Answer: B. Comparative-historical method

43. Q43. Comte's view that sciences progress from simple to complex is called:
    • A. Law of superposition    B. Hierarchy of sciences    C. Law of diminishing returns    D. Theory of relativity
    Answer

    Answer: B. Hierarchy of sciences

44. Q44. Comte's approach is often labeled:
    • A. Anti-scientific    B. Positivist    C. Mystical    D. Nihilistic
    Answer

    Answer: B. Positivist

45. Q45. Which of these is central to Comte’s sociology?
    • A. Metaphysical speculation    B. Discovery of social laws like natural laws    C. Religious conversion    D. Aesthetic appreciation
    Answer

    Answer: B. Discovery of social laws like natural laws

46. Q46. Comte would most likely approve a study that:
    • A. Uses myths to explain social order    B. Tests a hypothesis using observation and records    C. Promotes metaphysical doctrine    D. Relies solely on scripture
    Answer

    Answer: B. Tests a hypothesis using observation and records

47. Q47. Comte believed that the future of society should be guided by:
    • A. Random chance    B. Scientific leadership and moral guidance    C. Purely religious leaders    D. Absolute monarchy
    Answer

    Answer: B. Scientific leadership and moral guidance

48. Q48. Comte's sociology emphasized classification. What is its purpose?
    • A. To confuse students    B. To organize knowledge and discover patterns    C. To invent new myths    D. To replace observation
    Answer

    Answer: B. To organize knowledge and discover patterns

49. Q49. Comte believed that moral education should:
    • A. Be based on revealed religion only    B. Be grounded in positive scientific understanding    C. Be ignored    D. Be purely punitive
    Answer

    Answer: B. Be grounded in positive scientific understanding

50. Q50. Which statement best captures Comte's legacy?
    • A. He rejected science entirely    B. He established sociology as a scientific discipline and promoted positivism    C. He focused only on literature    D. He refused to classify sciences
    Answer

    Answer: B. He established sociology as a scientific discipline and promoted positivism

Tip: Use these MCQs in class tests, quick quizzes, or convert them into flashcards for students.

Visit the Blog / Source (Edit as needed)

Author: Subrata Majumder — Teacher & Digital Creator. Update this post title, meta description or canonical URL before publishing if you want to use a different blog address.

If you want: I can convert these MCQs into a printable PDF, Google Quiz format, or a ready-to-upload Blogger post with images & schema for each Q—tell me which format you prefer and I'll prepare it.