When is Auguste Comte's birthday?

Auguste Comte's birthday is January 19. He was born on January 19, 1798 in Montpellier, France.

Who shares a birthday with Auguste Comte?

Famous people who share Auguste Comte's January 19 birthday include Edgar Allan Poe, James Watt, Paul Cézanne, Dolly Parton and Robert E. Lee.

Philosophy · Science · Literature · 1798–1857

Auguste Comte — Age & Birthday

Born: 19 January 1798 · Died: 5 September 1857 · Age at death: 59

How old was Auguste Comte when he died?

Auguste Comte died aged 59. He was born on 19 January 1798 and died on 5 September 1857.

French philosopher who founded positivism and coined the word sociology for the scientific study of society

Did you know?He created a secular 'Religion of Humanity' that replaced traditional saints with historical figures from the worlds of art and science.

Quick facts

Date of birth19 January 1798
Date of death5 September 1857
Age at death59
Cause of deathStomach cancer
NationalityFrench
BirthplaceMontpellier, France
Occupationrepetitor, philosopher, sociologist

Editor's Take:

Auguste Comte wanted to study society the way scientists study nature. He coined the word "sociology" for this new science. His philosophy, called positivism, held that real knowledge comes from observation and evidence. He believed humanity passes through three stages: religious, philosophical and scientific. Late in life he founded a "Religion of Humanity" with its own calendar of saints. His ideas shaped modern social science. Brazil's flag still carries his motto, Order and Progress.

Key Milestones

1817: Saint-Simon – secretary
1830: Positive Philosophy – first volume
1838: Sociology – term coined
1851: System of Positive Polity – work

Isidore Auguste Marie François Xavier Comte (French:; 19 January 1798 – 5 September 1857) was a French philosopher and writer who formulated the doctrine of positivism. He is often regarded as the first philosopher of science in the modern sense of the term.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

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Auguste Comte: The Founder of Sociology

French philosopher, 1798–1857

Auguste Comte was born in Montpellier on 19 January 1798.

He was secretary to the social thinker Henri de Saint-Simon.

His Course in Positive Philosophy appeared from 1830 to 1842.

He coined the term sociology.

Career highlights

1817Saint-Simon: secretary
1830Positive Philosophy: first volume
1838Sociology: term coined
1851System of Positive Polity: work
1857Death: in Paris

Did you know?The motto on Brazil's flag, "Ordem e Progresso" (Order and Progress), comes from his philosophy.

Age at death: 59
Years since death: 169

Family

Mother: Rosalie Boyer
Spouse: Caroline Massin

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Frequently asked questions

When is Auguste Comte's birthday?: Auguste Comte's birthday is January 19. He was born on January 19, 1798 in Montpellier, France.
How old was Auguste Comte when he died?: Auguste Comte died on September 5, 1857, aged 59.
Who shares a birthday with Auguste Comte?: Famous people who share Auguste Comte's January 19 birthday include Edgar Allan Poe, James Watt, Paul Cézanne, Dolly Parton and Robert E. Lee.

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