The French social theorist was the first to use the term “sociology.” He sought to systematize all sciences under the banner of positivism. According to Comte, the task of sociology is to uncover the laws governing social order and progress. Comte, who viewed society as an organism, regarded the family as the basic unit of social analysis. His major works include *Cours de Philosophie Positive* and *Système Politique Positif*.
In his later years, he proposed a secular “Religion of Humanity,” in which he himself would serve as the pope and sociologists as priests. In a letter to Mustafa Reşit Pasha, the former Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, he argued that the spirit of the Tanzimat should be combined with positivism and invited the Ottoman Empire to adopt his religion. Although positivist methodology gained acceptance among Ottoman intellectuals, none of them endorsed his “Religion of Humanity.” Comte died of cancer on September 5, 1857.