Herbert Spencer was an English philosopher and sociologist who developed an ambitious evolutionary synthesis applying the idea of progressive development to biology, psychology, and society alike. He coined the phrase survival of the fittest, which Charles Darwin later adopted, and in works such as The Principles of Sociology he described societies as organisms that evolve from simple, undifferentiated forms toward greater complexity, differentiation, and integration. His organicist, evolutionary view of society and his advocacy of minimal state interference made him one of the most widely read social theorists of the late nineteenth century and a central reference point, positive and negative, for later sociology.
Facts
BirthplaceDerby, Derbyshire, England 1 Nationality / Culture Defining ContributionDeveloped an all-embracing conception of evolution as the progressive development of the physical world, biological organisms, the human mind, and human culture and societies, extending Darwinian ideas into sociology and ethics. 1 Notable WorkPrinciples of Biology (1864) 1 Connections
Institutions Informed
Source Alfred Espinas (Wikipedia)
Source Augustus Pitt Rivers (Wikipedia)
Source Benjamin Kidd (Wikipedia)
Source Vendée Militaire et Grand Ouest: Letourneau Charles
Source Social Welfare History Project, Virginia Commonwealth University: Henderson, Charles Richmond
Source Encyclopedia.com: Hankins, Frank H.
Source Encyclopedia.com: Giddings, Franklin H.
Source Gustav Ratzenhofer (Wikipedia)
Source Encyclopedia.com: Worms, René
Sumner was America leading Spencerian sociologist, applying Spencer social-evolutionary framework to American society at Yale.
Practices Studied
Source Herbert Spencer (Wikipedia)
Source Herbert Spencer (Wikipedia)
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Source Herbert Spencer (Wikipedia)Lead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia articleQuote, Lead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article
Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820 – 8 December 1903) was an English polymath active as a philosopher, psychologist, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist.
Sources
1. Herbert Spencer (Wikipedia)
WikipediaOpening sentence (birth date)
Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820-8 December 1903) was an English polymath active as a philosopher, psychologist, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist.
Opening sentence (birth year)
Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820-8 December 1903) was an English polymath active as a philosopher, psychologist, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist.
Opening sentence (death date)
Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820-8 December 1903) was an English polymath active as a philosopher, psychologist, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist.
Opening sentence (death year)
Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820-8 December 1903) was an English polymath active as a philosopher, psychologist, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist.
Early life and education section, opening sentence
Spencer was born in Derby, Derbyshire, England, on 27 April 1820, the son of William George Spencer (generally called George).
Opening sentence (nationality)
Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820-8 December 1903) was an English polymath active as a philosopher, psychologist, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist.
Lead paragraph, second sentence
Spencer originated the expression "survival of the fittest", which he coined in Principles of Biology (1864) after reading Charles Darwin's 1859 book On the Origin of Species.
Lead paragraph, third paragraph
Spencer developed an all-embracing conception of evolution as the progressive development of the physical world, biological organisms, the human mind, and human culture and societies.
Practices Studied: The State, Article text
" Spencer argued that the state is not an "essential" institution and that it will "decay" as a voluntary market organisation comes to replace the coercive aspects of the state.
Practices Studied: Religion, Article text
He was to gain much notoriety from his repudiation of traditional religion, and was frequently condemned by religious thinkers for allegedly advocating atheism and materialism.
View the Source Encyclopedia.com: Giddings, Franklin H.
Encyclopedia.comInstitutions Informed: Franklin Henry Giddings, Social theory, philosophyQuote, Institutions Informed: Franklin Henry Giddings, Social theory, philosophy
Giddings' basic philosophy was a combination of Comtean positivism and Spencerian evolutionism.
Augustus Pitt Rivers (Wikipedia)
Institutions Informed: Augustus Pitt Rivers, Archaeological career, evolutionary writingsQuote, Institutions Informed: Augustus Pitt Rivers, Archaeological career, evolutionary writings
Influenced by the evolutionary writings of Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer, he arranged them typologically and (within types) chronologically.
Gustav Ratzenhofer (Wikipedia)
Institutions Informed: Gustav Ratzenhofer, Work, sources of his sociologyQuote, Institutions Informed: Gustav Ratzenhofer, Work, sources of his sociology
Ratzenhofer understood sociology based on Herbert Spencer, Charles Darwin and Auguste Comte
Alfred Espinas (Wikipedia)
Institutions Informed: Alfred Espinas, LeadQuote, Institutions Informed: Alfred Espinas, Lead
He was a student of Comte and Spencer.
Encyclopedia.com: Worms, René
Encyclopedia.comInstitutions Informed: René Worms, Biography, organismic schoolQuote, Institutions Informed: René Worms, Biography, organismic school
he developed the analogy between the biological organism and society along lines similar to those followed by Comte, Spencer, and Espinas
Benjamin Kidd (Wikipedia)
Institutions Informed: Benjamin Kidd, Historiography, influencesQuote, Institutions Informed: Benjamin Kidd, Historiography, influences
Kidd was "inspired" by Karl Marx and Herbert Spencer (mostly Spencer), but he also "criticized" them.
Encyclopedia.com: Hankins, Frank H.
Encyclopedia.comInstitutions Informed: Frank H. Hankins, Biography, intellectual influencesQuote, Institutions Informed: Frank H. Hankins, Biography, intellectual influences
in his general sociological thinking by Herbert Spencer, Lester F. Ward, William Graham Sumner, and Franklin H. Giddings
Vendée Militaire et Grand Ouest: Letourneau Charles
Vendée Militaire et Grand OuestInstitutions Informed: Charles Letourneau, Biography, readingQuote, Institutions Informed: Charles Letourneau, Biography, reading
il fut marqué non seulement par la lecture d'Herbert Spencer et de Charles Darwin, mais aussi par celle de Charles Fourier et de Karl Marx.
Social Welfare History Project, Virginia Commonwealth University: Henderson, Charles Richmond
Social Welfare History Project, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityInstitutions Informed: Charles Richmond Henderson, Early views on charity, SpencerQuote, Institutions Informed: Charles Richmond Henderson, Early views on charity, Spencer
Spencer's theory of the State exerted considerable influence over his ideas concerning charity administration.
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