Have you heard of the Journées du Patrimoine ? This not-to-be-missed cultural event invites you to explore our heritage through an attractive program of guided tours, often free of charge, original events and other surprises. Some places that are usually closed to the public even open their doors to you for the occasion!
We're taking advantage of the 42nd Journées du Patrimoine to discover the Maison d'Auguste Comte, open for the occasion on Saturday September 20 and Sunday September 21, 2025. Located on rue Monsieur le Prince, in the heart of the Latin Quarter, this museum-apartment has not moved a muscle sinceAuguste Comte's death 151 years ago.
You've probably come across him in philosophy or French class, but who is Auguste Comte really? The father of sociology, this major 19th-century philosopher also developed positivism,"a global project for the reorganization of society in its social, political, moral and even religious dimensions", as the museum named after him puts it.
As a place of remembrance, the apartment invites visitors to take a journey back in time, alongside the philosopher, and to immerse themselves in his theories and understand their ins and outs. It's also an opportunity to learn more about the man and his field of expertise.
For this exhibition, the Maison d'Auguste Comte is commemorating the bicentenary of the death of Claude Henri de Saint-Simon (1760-1825), philosopher, social reformer and key figure of the early 19th century, as well as inspiration and role model for the young polytechnician Auguste Comte. The tour covers the tumultuous but rich relationship between the two men, from their early collaboration to their break-up in 1824. These were seven formative years for Auguste Comte, which he himself disowned, but which played a major role in the development of his philosophical system: positivism.
In the early 19th century, the end of the Ancien Régime, the Revolution and the advent of industrial society gave rise to a host of new ideas on politics, economics and science. Against a turbulent political backdrop of accelerating technical and scientific progress, Claude-Henri de Saint-Simon (1760-1825) and Auguste Comte (1798-1857) imagined what tomorrow's society would be like. The tour sets the scene for the meeting between the two men, who began a collaboration that lasted nearly 7 years. But in March 1824, Comte ended his collaboration with Saint-Simon, after a series of personal and ideological differences.
The Maison d'Auguste Comte is an apartment-museum in which the French philosopher Auguste Comte (1798-1857) lived. Located at 10 rue Monsieur le Prince, in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, it was Comte's last home, from 1841 until his death in 1857. Thereafter, his disciples took great care to preserve the house in which his philosophy was born, in accordance with their master's last wishes. Now a museum, the apartment is the property of an international association dedicated to Auguste Comte, and is open to visitors. Once through the doorway, visitors discover the philosopher's home, which has remained as he knew it, with its original furnishings and objects that once belonged to him. The thematic tour, which uses a light museographic device that preserves the authenticity of the site, informs visitors about Auguste Comte's philosophy.
Dates and Opening Time
From September 20, 2025 to September 21, 2025
Location
Auguste Comte House
10 Rue Monsieur le Prince
75006 Paris 6
Access
Odéon, line 4 or 10
Prices
Free
