The development of the conception of spiritual power in the writings of the young Auguste Comte: The critical role of Adam Smith's 'History of Astronomy'.

This article examines the influence of Adam Smith's essay on the "History of Astronomy" on the young Auguste Comte's development of a conception of spiritual power amid what Comte termed the "modern crisis." Initially viewing the crisis as a political problem, Comte redefined it as a social issue rooted in moral disintegration caused by the accelerating division of labour. Drawing on Smith's works—the "History of Astronomy" and the "Wealth of Nations"—Comte formulated spiritual power as a moral educational force emerging from specialists capable of generalizing knowledge to counteract social fragmentation. However, Comte diverged from Smith by emphasizing a regulatory, authoritative mode of spiritual power modeled on medieval moral authority, rather than Smith's voluntaristic, sympathetic approach to moral re-integration. This divergence highlights the distinctiveness of Comte's vision of spiritual power as a necessary, systemic response to modern social challenges.