Q1. Discuss the contributions of Comte and Durkheim towards a positivist approach.
- Comte coined 'sociology' and 'positivism', advocating a 'social physics' to find societal laws.
- Comte's Law of Three Stages (theological, metaphysical, positive) positioned science as the highest form of knowledge.
- Durkheim concretized positivism by defining 'social facts' as external, coercive, observable 'things'.
- Durkheim's *Suicide* study used statistical analysis of social facts to explain social phenomena.
Answer: Auguste Comte and Émile Durkheim are foundational figures in sociology whose contributions significantly shaped the positivist approach, advocating for the application of natural science methods to study the social world. Positivism, as discussed in MSO-002, emphasizes empirical observation, measurement, and the search for universal laws to explain social phenomena, striving for objectivity and value-neutrality. Auguste Comte, often credited with coining the term 'sociology' and 'positivism', e...