Cult of Men and Women

The two primary tenets of the Religion of Humanity were the cult of great men and the cult of women.

Comte supported the Cult of Woman, which mirrored gender prejudices prevalent in the nineteenth century. He professed to be anxious to emancipate women since he thought they best understood emotions. Moreover, they would play a significant part in combating men’s lack of empathy and fostering a caring society. Comte revived the salons to provide women their room to interact with men and influence public opinion. However, his desire for women not to exert political or economic authority was evidence of his patriarchal inclinations.