The Positive Philosophy
                                         of
                               Auguste Comte
                               Freely Translated and Condensed by
                                 Harriet Martineau
                                   With an Introduction by
                                   Frederic Harrison
                                    In Three Volumes
                                      Volume 1
                              Batoche Books
                                    Kitchener
                                       2000
                      London George Bell & Sons 1896
                           Contents
               Introduction........................................................................................ 7
               Preface by Harriet Martineau .......................................................... 18
               Introduction...................................................................................... 27
                Chapter I: Account of The Aim of This Work.—View of The Nature
                 and Importance of the Positive Philosophy................................ 27
                Chapter II: View of The Hierarchy of The Positive Sciences......... 42
               Book I: Mathematics........................................................................ 56
                Chapter I: Mathematics, Abstract And Concrete........................... 56
                Chapter II: General View of Mathematical Analysis ..................... 67
                Section I: Ordinary Analysis, or Calculus of Direct Functions.... 74
                Section II: Transcendental Analysis, of Calculus of Indirect Func-
                 tions ........................................................................................... 78
                 The Differential and Integral Calculus....................................... 88
                 The Differential Calculus........................................................... 90
                 The Integral Calculus................................................................. 93
                 Calculus of Variations................................................................ 98
                Chapter III: General View of Geometry ....................................... 102
                 Modern, or Analytical Geometry ..............................................111
                Chapter IV: Rational Mechanics.................................................. 120
                Section I: Statics ........................................................................ 128
                Section II: Dynamics.................................................................. 138
               Book II: Astronomy ....................................................................... 148
                Chapter I: General View .............................................................. 148
                Chapter II: Methods of Study of Astronomy ............................... 155
                Section I: Instruments ................................................................ 155
                Section II: Refraction ................................................................. 159
              4/Auguste Comte
               Section III: Parallax ................................................................... 160
               Section IV: Catalogue of Stars................................................... 162
              Chapter III: Geometrical Phenomena of the Heavenly Bodies ..... 163
               Section I: Statical Phenomena.................................................... 163
               Motion of the Earth.................................................................. 171
               Kepler’s Laws.......................................................................... 178
               Section II: Dynamical Phenomena ............................................. 182
               Gravitation ............................................................................... 182
              Chapter IV: Celestial Statics ........................................................ 190
               Section I: Weight on the Earth ................................................... 192
               Section II: Form of The Planets ................................................. 193
               Section III: The Tides................................................................. 195
              Chapter V: Celestial Dynamics .................................................... 199
              Chapter VI: Sidereal Astronomy And Cosmogony ...................... 209
              Book III: Physics............................................................................ 216
              Chapter I: General View .............................................................. 216
              Chapter II: Barology .................................................................... 230
               Section I: Statics ........................................................................ 231
               Section II: Dynamics.................................................................. 236
              Chapter III: Thermology .............................................................. 238
               Section I: Mutual Thermological Influence................................ 239
               Section II: Constituent Changes by Heat ................................... 244
               Section III: Connection with Analysis........................................ 248
               Section IV: Terrestrial Temperatures ......................................... 249
              Chapter IV: Acoustics.................................................................. 250
               Section I: Propagation of Sound ................................................ 254
               Section II: Intensity of Sounds ................................................... 255
               Section III: Theory of Tones ...................................................... 256
              Chapter V: Optics ........................................................................ 259
               Section I: Study of Direct Light................................................. 265
               Section II: Catoptrics ................................................................. 266
               Section III: Dioptrics.................................................................. 267
               Section IV: Diffraction ............................................................... 269
              Chapter VI: Electrology ............................................................... 270
               Section I: Electric Production .................................................... 273
               Section II: Electrical Statics....................................................... 275
               Section III: Electrical Dynamics ................................................ 276
              Book IV: Chemistry ....................................................................... 280
              Chapter I ...................................................................................... 280