What did Comte mean by social statics?

In the context of Auguste Comte’s positivism, social statics refers to the study of the forces that hold society together and maintain social order.1

Comte divided sociology into two primary branches: social statics and social dynamics. While social dynamics focuses on the causes of social change, social statics examines the fundamental laws of the social order and the equilibrium of forces in a stable society.21

Comte identified the underlying principles of social statics as:
* Individual egoism, which is fostered by the division of labour.
* The combination of human efforts and the maintenance of social cohesion through the influence of government and the state.1

By analyzing these elements, Comte sought to understand how societies achieve stability, providing a scientific basis for the social planning he believed was necessary for the progress of modern industrial society.1