tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2532313388110978122.post7466013309885909128..comments2023-10-28T00:47:18.069-07:00Comments on Weeks Population: Demography Is or Is Not DestinyJohn Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04069566137451684355noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2532313388110978122.post-87407040107420818472016-01-16T22:36:59.232-08:002016-01-16T22:36:59.232-08:00I actually have answered the question about the or...I actually have answered the question about the origins of the term:http://weekspopulation.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-origins-of-demography-is-destiny.htmlJohn Weekshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04069566137451684355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2532313388110978122.post-58870465660637147302016-01-16T20:04:46.379-08:002016-01-16T20:04:46.379-08:00I noticed your blog while seeking the origin of th...I noticed your blog while seeking the origin of the phrase "demography is destiny", (or "as destiny") -- a phrase (in your judgment) erroneously attributed to Auguste Comte. While I don't doubt mis-attribution to Comte, it would be interesting to know who coined or minted this sociologically noteworthy phrase and what was actually originally meant by it.<br />This reminds me: Comte is often referred to as the originator of the term `positive philosophy', when, in fact, according to Emile Durkheim, it was the largely forgotten Saint Simon who first coined the term `philosophie positif'. But for some reason the widespread false belief continues that Comte was the original author of the term. This false belief was even advanced in an early paper of philosophical principles by Morris Schlick of the positivistic Vienna Circle in Austria. It is interesting how false claims, once established, can gain currency even at the most highly acclaimed levels of `serious scholarship', and are often almost impossible to root out or eradicate.<br />As a final note let me say that the phrase `demography is destiny' is merely an absolutization of `demography as destiny'. For it is clear on the face of it that there are many other aspects of the social world which can be said to decide destiny. In fact, demography does not necessarily `determine' destiny at all, any more than the material basis determines the cultural superstructure of a society or `local' civilization. So it is not only worth looking for the originator of the phrase `demographics is destiny', but it is also worth considering the truth-value or legitimacy of the very idea. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2532313388110978122.post-80454501706338001792014-02-14T23:15:38.443-08:002014-02-14T23:15:38.443-08:00thank you for the article, i have enjoyed joining ...thank you for the article, i have enjoyed joining your forum.<br /><br />www.n8fan.netcielohttp://www.n8fan.netnoreply@blogger.com