CONGREVE, RICHARD (1818-1899), English Positivist, was born at Leamington on Sept. 4, 1818, was educated at Rugby and Oxford, and was a fellow of Wadham college. In 1878 he caused the split in English Positivism by refusing to admit the authority of P. Laffitte, Auguste Comte's successor. Congreve translated several of Comte's works, and in 1874 published a vol ume of essays advocating the renunciation by Britain of her foreign possessions. He died at Hampstead July 5, 1899.
His publications were: Roman Empire of the West 0855); anno tated edition of Aristotle's Politics (1855;. 2nd ed., 1874) ; Catechism of the Positive Religion, translated from the French of A. Comte (1858; 3rd ed., 1891); Elizabeth of England (1862); Essays, political, social, and religious (1874; 2nd series, 1892); Historical Lectures (col lected in one volume, igo2).