Pain and Recognition

Mary Pickering

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511596551.006

5 - Pain and Recognition

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 January 2010

Mary Pickering

Show author details

Mary Pickering: Affiliation:
San José State University, California

Book contents

Get access

Summary

How could a doctrine that clearly highlights the natural participation of every existence in the harmony of the universe tend to isolate us more from the general milieu? … I feel every day that my philosophical convictions make me increasingly sympathize with everyone who surrounds me. Although I am very isolated in my daily life, it is only because of personal taste and a sort of spontaneous routine; my philosophy combats them … and certainly does away with every nuance of misanthropy.

Comte to Barbot de Chement, 1846

MORE DISAPPOINTMENT

According to J. Marès, manic-depressives become extremely melancholy or maniacal after the death of someone they love. Indeed, right after de Vaux's funeral, Comte began to deal with a sadness that he said was “without equal” and would last forever. Yet matters shortly became worse. About a month after her death, Comte experienced more grief. One of his oldest and closest friends, Charles Bonnin, died on May 27, 1846 at the age of seventy-six. He prided himself on being Comte's first disciple. Indeed, he had been corresponding with Comte since 1829 and for years had joined him and Lenoir once a month at Blainville's home for dinner. A radical publicist and friend of Lazare Carnot, Bonnin demonstrated the “profound affinity” that could exist between the “pure spirit of the revolution” and positivism. Comte always appreciated this leftist's support.

Type: Chapter
Information: Auguste Comte
An Intellectual Biography
, pp. 230 - 265

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511596551.006 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Haubtmann, Pierre, La Philosophie sociale de P.-J. Proudhon (Grenoble: Presses universitaires de Grenoble, 1980), 288Google Scholar

Comte, Louis, Mémoire justificatif (Paris, 1846), 7Google Scholar

“Le Premier Rayonnement en France des idées d'Auguste Comte (1824–1848): Les Milieux, les institutions, les hommes,” in 1848: Révolutions et mutations au XIXe siècle (Paris: Société d'histoire de la Révolution de 1848 et des révolutions du XIXe siècle, 1993), 72–5

Laffitte, Pierre, “Matériaux pour servir à la biographie d'Auguste Comte: Amis, Protecteurs, Correspondants d'Auguste Comte: Thalès Bernard,” La Revue Occidentale, 2d ser., 15 (September, 1897):191Google Scholar

Dictionnaire biographique et bibliographique (Paris: Aug. Boyer, 1875), 346

Lazinier, Emmanuel and Acevedo, Sybil, “Quelques disciples et sympathisants célèbres,” Auguste Comte: Qui êtes-vous? ed. Ficquelmont, Gérard (Lyon: La Manufacture, 1988), 337–8Google Scholar

Laffitte, Pierre, “Réponse à quelques objections,” La Revue Occidentale 20 (January 1888): 34Google Scholar

Harrison, Frederic, “Variétés: Pierre Laffitte,” La Revue Occidentale, 2d ser., 14 (March 1897): 243–4Google Scholar

Laffitte, Pierre, “Matériaux pour sérvir à la biographie d'Auguste Comte: Carrière polytechnique d'Auguste Comte,” La Revue Occidentale 19 (1887): 309Google Scholar

Petit, Annie, “L'Oeuvre de Pierre Laffitte,” Revue internationale d'histoire et de philosophie des sciences et des techniques, 2d ser., 8, no. 2 (2004): 47Google Scholar

Laffitte, Pierre, “Matériaux pour servir à la biographie d'Auguste Comte: Bibliothèque d'Auguste Comte,” La Revue Occidentale, 2d ser., 14 (January 1897): 129Google Scholar

Saisset, Emile, Mélanges d'histoire, de morale et de critique (Paris: Charpentier, 1859), 339n1Google Scholar

Saisset, Emile, “La Philosophie positive,” Revue des Deux Mondes 15 (July 15, 1846): 185, 195, 196, 213–20Google Scholar

Sournia, Jean-Charles, “Littré à l'Académie de Médicine,” Bulletin de l'Académie Nationale de Médecine 165 (1981): 942Google Scholar

Six, Jean-François, Littré devant Dieu (Paris: Seuil, 1962), 22Google Scholar

Rey, Alain, Littré: L'Humaniste et les mots (Paris: Gallimard, 1970), 73, 232, 246Google Scholar

Hamburger, Jean, Monsieur Littré (Paris: Flammarion, 1988), 69Google Scholar

Petit, Annie, “Philologie et philosophie de l'histoire,” in Actes du Colloque Littré: Paris, 7–9 octobre 1981 (Paris: Albin Michel, 1983), 215–43Google Scholar

Comte, A., Principes de philosophie positive (Paris: J.-B. Baillière, 1891), 211Google Scholar

Coumet, Ernest, “La Philosophie positive d'E. Littré,” in Actes du Colloque Littré, Paris, 7–9 octobre 1981, ed. Roger, Jacques (Paris: Albin Michel, 1983), 180Google Scholar

Robinet, , M. Littré et le Positivisme (Paris, 1871), 11Google Scholar

Laffitte, Pierre, ed., “Relations d'Auguste Comte avec Armand Marrast,” La Revue Occidentale 10 (March 1883): 191

Comte, , “Le Fondateur de la Société Positiviste à quiconque désire s'y incorporer,” March 8, 1848, Auguste Comte: Correspondance générale et confessions. Edited by Paulo E. de Berrêdo Carneiro, Pierre Arnaud, Paul Arbousse-Bastide, and Angèle Kremer-Marietti. 8 vols. Paris: Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, 1973–90., 4:269Google Scholar

Littré, E., De la Philosophie positive (Paris, 1845), 102Google Scholar

Harris, J. and Brock, W. H., “From Giessen to Gower Street: Towards a Biography of Alexander William Williamson (1824–1904),” Annals of Science 31 (1974): 109CrossRef Google Scholar

Bensaude-Vincent, Bernadette, “Atomism and Positivism: A Legend about French Chemistry,” Annals of Science 56 (1999): 88CrossRef Google Scholar

Williams, David, Mr. George Eliot: A Biography of George Henry Lewes (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1983), 48Google Scholar

Laffitte, Pierre, ed., “Relations d'Auguste Comte avec Armand Marrast,” La Revue Occidentale 10 (March 1883): 189

Lewes, George Henry, “The Modern Metaphysics and Moral Philosophy of France,” British and Foreign Review 15 (1843): 405Google Scholar

Lewes, George Henry, “State of Historical Science in France,” British and Foreign Review 16 (1844): 91, 98Google Scholar

Hawkins, Richmond Laurin, Positivism in the United States (1853–1861) (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1938), 11–12CrossRef Google Scholar

Kaines, , “Auguste Comte in Great Britain: An Address Delivered before the North London Positivist Society,” The National Reformer n.v. (September 9, 1888):165Google Scholar

Letters of Benjamin Jowett (New York: E. P. Dutton, 1899), 16

Jowett, Benjamin, in Abbott, Evelyn and Campbell, Lewis, eds., Life and Letters of Benjamin Jowett (London: John Murray, 1897), 2 vols., 1:130, 261; 2:187Google Scholar

Harrison, Frederic, “Obituary: G. H. Lewes,” The Academy, 14 (December 7, 1878): 544Google Scholar

Book contents

5 - Pain and Recognition

Summary

Access options

References

Save book to Kindle

Save book to Dropbox

Save book to Google Drive