The French philosopher Auguste Comte (1798-1857) is generally acknowledged as one of the founding fathers of sociology, and one of the most influential "grand theorists" of the nineteenth century. This edition of his early essays from the 1820s is based on a new translation, and aims to make his ideas and the development of his thought accessible to modern readers. A comprehensive introduction establishes the historical significance of Comte's work and shows how his ideas emerged from the rich intellectual turmoil of post-revolutionary France. 'Stuart Jones has done us a service by making these texts readily available once again. he has had the courage and the tenacity to produce an excellent new English version of Comte's text. History of Political Thought This book provides translations of Auguste Comte's early writings, with scholarly apparatus placing Comte in his historical context. Stuart Jones is Professor of Intellectual History at the University of Manchester. He has written widely on British and French intellectual history and political thought, chiefly of the nineteenth century. His books include The French State in Question (Cambridge, 1993), Victorian Political Thought (2000), and Intellect and Character in Victorian England: Mark Pattison and the Invention of the Don (Cambridge, 2007). He also edited Comte's Early Political Writings for the Cambridge Texts in Political Thought series (Cambridge, 1998). He is currently Visiting Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford (2008–9). Used Book in Good Condition