On Auguste Comte’s “sociology of emotions”

In this article we show that, textually present in his sociology of religion, and in particular in his religion of humanity, emotions seem to be configurable within the overall reflective structure of Auguste Comte, also, or even primarily, as a means by which the social order can be realised and reproduced. It therefore seems possible to speak of an embryonic and/or potential Comtean "sociology of emotions". To be sure, he did not develop a direct and autonomous reflection on the theme of the emotions, but that does not prevent us noting in the last phase of his life and scientific output, deeply marked by System of Positive Polity, a special attention to the emotional bases of humanity and sociality.