d almost depending on arbitrary will. The present work,
on the contrary, is addressed to those who are already sufficiently
convinced of the certain existence of social laws, and desire only to
have them reduced to a true and conclusive system.'

What that system is it would take far more space than we can afford to
sketch even in outline. All we can do is to enumerate some of its main
positions. They are to be drawn not only from the _Positive Polity_,
but from two other works,--the _Positivist Catechism: a Summary
Exposition of the Universal Religion, in Twelve Dialogues between a
Woman and a Priest of Humanity_; and second, _The Subjective
Synthesis_ (1856), which is the first and only volume of a work upon
mathematics announced at the end of the _Positive Philosophy_. The
system for which the _Positive Philosophy_ is alleged to have been the
scientific preparation contains a Polity and a Religion; a complete
arrangement of life in all its aspects, giving a wider sphere to
Intellect, Energy, and Feeling than could be found in any of the
previous organic types,--Greek, Roman, or Catholic-feudal. Comte's
immense superiority over such prae-Revolutionary Utopians as the Abbe
Saint Pierre, no less than over the group of post-revolutionary
Utopians, is especially visible in his firm grasp of the cardinal
truth that the improvement of the social organism can only be
effected by a moral development, and never by any changes in mere
political mechanism, or any violences in the way of an artificial
redistribution of wealth. A moral transformation must precede any real
advance. The aim, both in public and private life, is to secure to the
utmost possible extent the victory of the social feeling over
self-love, or Altruism over Egoism. This is the key to the
regeneration of social existence, as it is the key to that unity of
individual life which makes all our energies converge freely and
without wasteful friction towards a common end. What are the
instruments for securing the preponderance of Altruism? Clearly they
must work from the strongest element in human nature, and this element
is Feeling or the Heart. Under the Catholic system the supremacy of
Feeling was abused, and the intellect was made its slave. Then
followed a revolt of Intellect against Sentiment. The business of the
new system will be to bring back the Intellect into a condition, not
of slavery, but of willing ministry to the Feelings. The subordination
never w