Three important ideas associated with the thought of Auguste Comte are as follows. All of them were important to his overall philosophical system known as "positivism":

• The law of the three stages: This was the idea that society progressed from a theological to a metaphysical to a scientific worldview as people gained more scientific knowledge. 
• Importance of institutions: Comte thought that institutions, including government, constructed along the lines of the rational precepts of science, were essential to improving human life. 
• Social science: Comte proposed, indeed practiced, the application of scientific principles to understanding human institutions, beliefs, and many other aspects of social life. He is, as a result, often credited with being a founding father of sociology.