Auguste Comte, in full Isidore-Auguste-Marie-François-Xavier Comte, (born January 19, 1798, Montpellier, France—died September 5, 1857, Paris), French philosopher known as the founder of sociology and of positivism. Comte gave the science of sociology its name and established the new subject in a systematic fashion.
Who is widely considered to be the father of sociology?
Auguste Comte is often credited as the founder of sociology. However, his work influenced and laid the foundations for three other major theorists who are now widely regarded as the fathers of sociology: Émile Durkheim (left), Max Weber (centre) and Karl Marx (right).