Final answer:
Auguste Comte did not explicitly mention a 'fourth major methodology'; his theory emphasized three stages of societies' development, with the third stage positivism being the point where sociology could develop as a scientific discipline.
Step-by-step explanation:
Auguste Comte (1798-1857), the French philosopher, is renowned for creating the term sociology and for his theory that societies develop through three stages. Comte's scientific approach to studying society is known as positivism, which is also the third stage of societal development he proposed. In this positivist stage, society would move away from religious explanations and instead rely solely on scientific inquiry and evidence-based truths.
While Comte identified three main stages in the development of society, a 'fourth major methodology' as such is not explicitly mentioned in Comte's work.
Instead, it is during this third positivist stage where sociology, according to Comte, could flourish as a scientific discipline by unraveling and utilizing the laws governing human behavior to benefit society.