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Abstract

In the paper the author attempts to show by means of the analysis of the conceptions of A. Comte, J. S. Mill, H. T. Buckle what modifications the problems of philosophy of history with the positivists of the first generation underwent. His conclusion is that they strived to develop a history of philosophy which would meet the criteria of natural sciences when they worked out sociological theories. If we take into account the basic premises of the early positivists, we must notice that they virtually considered history of philosophy to be methodology of history. Positivists have their share in pointing out the problem of mutual influence of the theoretical and empirical in historical cognition and in attempting to solve it. It was characteristic for all positivists of the first generation that they took historical for sociological and philosophy of history for sociology and they intended to eliminate any moment of speculation from the former.