POSITIVISM. A system of religion founded by Auguste Comte (1797-1S5S), a French mathematician and philosopher, author of Cours de Philosophie Positive (1S39) and Traitd de Sociolog4e (1851-54). Comte con tended that only phenomena can be known, and these only relatively. The sciences fall into two classes, abstract and concrete, the latter being first in time. A theory of concrete phenomena, which -is really scientific, can be established only when the general laws which rule phenomena have been understood. A science is made " positive " when its truths are linked with those of the other sciences, and worked out to their logical conse quences. " Positivism raises each science in succession from its empirical condition, and incorporates it with every other positive science as a co-ordinated and coherent body of doctrine " (J. H. Blunt). As regards an Absolute Supreme Power, since our powers of mind are finite and relative. we cannot prove its existence. The power of which we have positive proof is Humanity. This is a Power whose operations go backward into the dim past and forward into the distant future. It is a power that is present in us and with us. Positivism is the Religion of Humanity. - The revelation, the in spiration. the incarnation so long and passionately dreamed of by the religious souls of men through such a long vista of ages, are realized at last. The true revela tion of the will of the great Being is science itself. Human genius and love is that Inspiration. The sum of demonstrated Law is the Gospel. The Bible of the
Hebrews, the Gospel of Christ and of Paul, becomes a real, but a simple. part of the true Gospel. There is no one Book of the Law. All great books alike reveal the Law. All great thinkers and teachers, all true workers and rulers have been inspired. There is no single in carnation of the son of a carpenter and a maiden of Judah. Humanity is incarnate in all great men in a supreme degree; it is incarnate in every worthy man and woman alike; every son of Humanity, who does not repudiate his birthright, is the son of Man, is a Christ, is or may be, the Messiah, of some honest family or home; every daughter of Humanity is, at least in nature, the mother or the sister of some Christ to be—is herself a transfigured type of Humanity itself " (Frederic Harri son). It is claimed that the Positive creed is scientific, founded on real scientific bases. There are organized bodies of Positivists throughout the world. In England different bodies emphasize different aspects of the Posi tivist synthesis, but they all agree in essential principles. The school or educational centre of Positivism in London is Newton Hall (q.v.). Comte attached great importance to Love as the principle of Sociology. This great prin ciple he termed Amour d'a-utrui or Altruism. His motto was " Vivre pour altrui." See J. H. Blunt; Frederic Harrison, " Positivism " in Great Religions of the World, 1902: " Humanity " in Religious Systems of the World, 190S: C. J. Deter.