Auguste Comte, Stay positive (1798-1857, Year of Entry: 1814)

While studying at Polytechnique, Auguste Comte lost his rank of corporal. The reason: this ardent republican violated numerous regulations and incited a spate of unrest. In 1816, Louis XVIII dismissed Comte’s entire year group for indiscipline. Following this politically motivated exclusion, the future founder of positivism began earning his livelihood as a mechanics and analytics tutor. He worked as an examiner at École Polytechnique from 1836 to 1844, and founded the Polytechnique Association to educate Parisian laborers. In 1830, Comte published his six-volume Course of Positive Philosophy and positivism became established as a new school of thought, political party and religion. Auguste Comte passed away in 1857. His grave in Père-Lachaise Cemetery bears the positivist mantra, "Love as the principle and order as the basis; progress as the goal."