Enlightened and positivist seeds of the modern philosophy of science in texts by Jullien de Paris and Auguste Comte

Abstract

This paper aims to examine two philosophical projects worked on in the first half of the 19th Century concerning science and its place in society, one by Marc-Antoine Jullien de Paris, and the other by Auguste Comte. Starting from the reading of two short texts, this paper identifies the contributions to the modern philosophy of science made by the enlightened thought of Jullien de Paris and by the positivist proposal of Comte: both authors coincide on the necessity to coordinate scientific efforts to promote social well-being and achieve an efficient political organization. Because such philosophical reflections on science precede the most recognized theoretical proposals in the field by more than half a century, this article characterizes those philosophical projects as enlightened and positivist seeds of the modern philosophy of science.