1. Division of sociology seizes aspect structural, systematical, developmental and functional. From the point of view of biology, sociology is a domain investigating population, particularly human population. Its purpose is to build general theory of this population on three levels macro, mezo and micro as contrasted to detailed theories, political science, economical, historical etc. So its field can be differentiate from other social sciences as political science, economy, cultural anthropology, ethnography, history, cultural studies etc.
Creator of sociology A.Comte developed one from firsts modern theory of science. Main domains - astronomy and mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, sociology - today at next place we can add psychology, he ordered according to the diminishing degree of the generality - diminishing range, from astronomy to sociology, to which accompanies the growth of the complexity of investigated phenomenones . Whereat every domain previous following determines for its indispensable base. From this theory results clearly that sociology investigates most complexity phenomenones and needs proper methods but strongly analogical to methods of physics or biology. The antipositivistic sociology being expression of unripeness transfers sociology into a sphere of pseudoscience and rubbish.
As biology come its own generally obligatory paradigmatic theory which is theory of evolution, similarly and even earlier became with sociology. Thus levering of the importance of theory of evolution aground of sociology is similar to levering the importance of theory of evolution aground biology. Both undertakings are in the same way nonsensical and unscientific.
2. A.Comte developed also theory of progress of knowledge being simultaneously one of most general conception of social progress, cyt. (The positive philosophy of Auguste Comte, freely translated and condensed by Harriet Martineau, chapter I):
"From the study of the development of human intelligence, in all directions, and through all times, the discovery arises of a great fundamental law, to which it is necessarily subject, and which has a solid foundation of proof, both in the facts of our organization and in our historical experience. The law is this: that each of our leading conceptions - each branch of our knowledge - passes successively through three stages: the theological, or fictitious; the metaphysical, or abstract; and the scientific, or positive. In other words, the human mind, by its nature, employs in its progress three methods of philosophizing, the character of which is essentially different, and even radically opposed : namely, the theological method, the metaphysical, and the positive. Hence arise three philosophies, or general systems of conceptions on the aggregate of phenomena, each of which excludes the others. The first is the necessary point of departure of the human understanding, and the third is its fixed and definitive state. The second is merely a state of transition.
...The progress of the individual mind is not only an illustration, but an indirect evidence of that of the general mind. The point of departure of the individual and of the race being the same, the phases of the mind of a man correspond to the epochs of the mind of the race. Now, each of us is aware, if he looks back upon his own history, that he was a theologian in his childhood, a metaphysician in his youth, and natural philosopher in his manhood. All men who are up to their age can verify this for themselves."
3. Models are a basic component of the scientific explanation and one of bases for building of a theory. It is worth to notice that organicism or organic analogy was a model and not an metaphor. For a development of culture biomorphotical model seems to be useful - similarly as in a field of physics a good model of a structure of atom it proved to be a planetary system. But Comte did not descry, probably because that in his times this phenomenon was not yet clearly visible, that last period of development of civilization had impetuous character. What corresponds with biomorphotical model but only in its more exact kind. We can agree that "phases of the mind of a man correspond to the epochs of the mind of the race" but metaphorical partition of Comte on phases childhood, youth and adulthood isn't fully precise. It is known that adulthood phase is preceded by a period of ripening, following after a period of childhood. Just in this period we are found at present. It have started not long ago, about year 1500 and characterize it accelerated and even impetuous development, demographic, civilizational and technical.
Applied effectively in my general theory of evolution (see map of my texts) logistic development (diag . 1) is best fitted for its description. Till now unsolved problem what means that stormy social development can find a clear explanation aground of proposed theory.
diagram 1. Logistic development
According to Comte's conception religion belongs to childish phase of development of civilization, whereas metaphysics to youthful phase. His theory assumes besides that basic fields of natural sciences entered already to phase of adulthood, passing previously through phases religious and metaphysical.
But more exact analysis of chronology of development shows that culture only began to go out from period of intellectual childhood so metaphysics and philosophy we should count to first phase with religion, besides that no domains of sciences not yet reached even the phase of youth. This is one from basic differences between our conception and conception of Comte - period of youth only comes, whereas at present we are within a period of ripening.
Thus schema of development phases breaks up on four and not on three stages - childhood, ripening, youth and adulthood. First is religious , mythological and philosophical phase, last is scientific and technical phase. Two previous adulthood stages we can describe as connection of phase first and fourth in different proportions. Whereat coming period of youth can appear in unripe variant religious -scientific (and philosophical-scientific) form, or in variant ripe speculative-scientific depending on further direction of development and depending on abilities from dealing with problems which stay in front of period of ripening which is mixture of religion, philosophy, pseudoscience and science. Dependently from this reach period of adulthood will be possible more quickly, will very lengthen or will reach a true ripeness will become at all not possible in a cycle of development of Homo sapiens culture lasting tens thousands of years.
...
whole study is available here:
http://studia.scienceontheweb.net/sociology.php
Creator of sociology A.Comte developed one from firsts modern theory of science. Main domains - astronomy and mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, sociology - today at next place we can add psychology, he ordered according to the diminishing degree of the generality - diminishing range, from astronomy to sociology, to which accompanies the growth of the complexity of investigated phenomenones . Whereat every domain previous following determines for its indispensable base. From this theory results clearly that sociology investigates most complexity phenomenones and needs proper methods but strongly analogical to methods of physics or biology. The antipositivistic sociology being expression of unripeness transfers sociology into a sphere of pseudoscience and rubbish.
As biology come its own generally obligatory paradigmatic theory which is theory of evolution, similarly and even earlier became with sociology. Thus levering of the importance of theory of evolution aground of sociology is similar to levering the importance of theory of evolution aground biology. Both undertakings are in the same way nonsensical and unscientific.
2. A.Comte developed also theory of progress of knowledge being simultaneously one of most general conception of social progress, cyt. (The positive philosophy of Auguste Comte, freely translated and condensed by Harriet Martineau, chapter I):
"From the study of the development of human intelligence, in all directions, and through all times, the discovery arises of a great fundamental law, to which it is necessarily subject, and which has a solid foundation of proof, both in the facts of our organization and in our historical experience. The law is this: that each of our leading conceptions - each branch of our knowledge - passes successively through three stages: the theological, or fictitious; the metaphysical, or abstract; and the scientific, or positive. In other words, the human mind, by its nature, employs in its progress three methods of philosophizing, the character of which is essentially different, and even radically opposed : namely, the theological method, the metaphysical, and the positive. Hence arise three philosophies, or general systems of conceptions on the aggregate of phenomena, each of which excludes the others. The first is the necessary point of departure of the human understanding, and the third is its fixed and definitive state. The second is merely a state of transition.
...The progress of the individual mind is not only an illustration, but an indirect evidence of that of the general mind. The point of departure of the individual and of the race being the same, the phases of the mind of a man correspond to the epochs of the mind of the race. Now, each of us is aware, if he looks back upon his own history, that he was a theologian in his childhood, a metaphysician in his youth, and natural philosopher in his manhood. All men who are up to their age can verify this for themselves."
3. Models are a basic component of the scientific explanation and one of bases for building of a theory. It is worth to notice that organicism or organic analogy was a model and not an metaphor. For a development of culture biomorphotical model seems to be useful - similarly as in a field of physics a good model of a structure of atom it proved to be a planetary system. But Comte did not descry, probably because that in his times this phenomenon was not yet clearly visible, that last period of development of civilization had impetuous character. What corresponds with biomorphotical model but only in its more exact kind. We can agree that "phases of the mind of a man correspond to the epochs of the mind of the race" but metaphorical partition of Comte on phases childhood, youth and adulthood isn't fully precise. It is known that adulthood phase is preceded by a period of ripening, following after a period of childhood. Just in this period we are found at present. It have started not long ago, about year 1500 and characterize it accelerated and even impetuous development, demographic, civilizational and technical.
Applied effectively in my general theory of evolution (see map of my texts) logistic development (diag . 1) is best fitted for its description. Till now unsolved problem what means that stormy social development can find a clear explanation aground of proposed theory.
diagram 1. Logistic development
According to Comte's conception religion belongs to childish phase of development of civilization, whereas metaphysics to youthful phase. His theory assumes besides that basic fields of natural sciences entered already to phase of adulthood, passing previously through phases religious and metaphysical.
But more exact analysis of chronology of development shows that culture only began to go out from period of intellectual childhood so metaphysics and philosophy we should count to first phase with religion, besides that no domains of sciences not yet reached even the phase of youth. This is one from basic differences between our conception and conception of Comte - period of youth only comes, whereas at present we are within a period of ripening.
Thus schema of development phases breaks up on four and not on three stages - childhood, ripening, youth and adulthood. First is religious , mythological and philosophical phase, last is scientific and technical phase. Two previous adulthood stages we can describe as connection of phase first and fourth in different proportions. Whereat coming period of youth can appear in unripe variant religious -scientific (and philosophical-scientific) form, or in variant ripe speculative-scientific depending on further direction of development and depending on abilities from dealing with problems which stay in front of period of ripening which is mixture of religion, philosophy, pseudoscience and science. Dependently from this reach period of adulthood will be possible more quickly, will very lengthen or will reach a true ripeness will become at all not possible in a cycle of development of Homo sapiens culture lasting tens thousands of years.
...
whole study is available here:
http://studia.scienceontheweb.net/sociology.php
