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Line 1: − + − ==Life==+ − − ==Religion==+ − Although raised in a devout Methodist family, he never joined a church. He was a defender of [[Charles Darwin]]'s theory of [[evolution]], and coined the terms "the [[Survival of the fittest]]"<ref>''fit'' - meaning suitable, or the right size and shape, '''not''' ''fit'' as in athletically strong (although some have inferred this interpretation).</ref> and "the Descent of Man." Spencer, like many scientists of the time, was a [[deist]], which is to say he did not believe in [[God]] ''per se'', but only in ''a'' god. Eventually, Spencer became an [[agnostic]]. − − ==Influence== − Spencer had a major influence on world thinkers in Europe, Asia and Latin America, especially British and American thinkers of the 1870s, including such prominent conservatives as [[Andrew Carnegie]] and [[William Graham Sumner]]. Spencer's influence faded in Britain and America after 1900. − − − Spencer is largely remembered today for his theories of [[social Darwinism]], the idea that evolutionary ideas applied to societies as well as people. Spencer developed his ideas before Darwin, and "social darwinism" dealt only with the progressive betterment of human society. − − ==Bibliography== − * Carneiro, Robert L. and Perrin, Robert G. "Herbert Spencer's 'Principles of Sociology:' a Centennial Retrospective and Appraisal." ''Annals of Science'' 2002 59(3): 221-261 online at Ebsco − * Duncan, David. ''The life and letters of Herbert Spencer'' (1908) [http://books.google.com/books?id=trlCAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=intitle:herbert+intitle:spencer&lr=&num=30&as_brr=3 online edition] − * Francis, Mark. ''Herbert Spencer and the Invention of Modern Life.'' (2007) 464p. − * Harris, Jose. "Spencer, Herbert (1820–1903)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,''(2004) [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/36208 online], a standard short biography − * Taylor, Michael W. ''The Philosophy of Herbert Spencer'' (Continuum Studies in British Philosophy) (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-Herbert-Spencer-Continuum-Studies/dp/0826487238/ref=pd_bbs_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222727400&sr=8-11 excerpt and text search] − *Taylor, Michael W., ''Men versus the State: Herbert Spencer and Late Victorian Individualism''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992. − * Weinstein, David. ''Equal Freedom and Utility: Herbert Spencer's Liberal Utilitarianism.'' (1998) 235p. − * Weinstein, David. *[http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/spencer/ Herbert Spencer] in ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' − ===Primary sources=== − * [http://oll.libertyfund.org/Home3/Author.php?recordID=0236 Most of Spencer's books are available online] − * Spencer, Herbert. ''Spencer: Political Writings'' (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought) edited by John Offer (1993) [http://www.amazon.com/Spencer-Political-Writings-Cambridge-History/dp/0521437407/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222727400&sr=8-4 excerpt and text search] − * Spencer, Herbert. ''Social Statics: The Man Versus the State'' (1850) − **''Social Statics'' (1851) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=96054973 abridged version] − * Spencer, Herbert. ''[http://praxeology.net/HS-SP.htm System of Synthetic Philosophy]'' (1860)] − * Spencer, Herbert. '' The study of sociology'' [http://www.amazon.com/study-sociology-Herbert-Spencer/dp/1418188417/ref=pd_bbs_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222727400&sr=8-7 excerpt and text search]; also [http://www.questia.com/read/96277756?title=The%20Study%20of%20Sociology full text online free] − * Spencer, Herbert. ''The Principles of Psychology'' [http://www.amazon.com/Principles-Psychology-1-Herbert-Spencer/dp/1402182716/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222727400&sr=8-8 excerpt and text search]; [http://books.google.com/books?id=hTBVAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:herbert+inauthor:spencer&lr=&num=30&as_brr=3 full text online] − * Spencer, Herbert. ''Social Statics, Abridged and Revised: Together with the Man Versus the State'' (1896), highly influential among libertarians [http://www.questia.com/read/96054973?title=Social%20Statics%2c%20Abridged%20and%20Revised%3a%20Together%20with%20the%20Man%20Versus%20the%20State full text online free] − * Spencer, Herbert. [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=96054973 ''The Man Versus the State'' (1884)] − * Spencer, Herbert. ''Education: Intellectual, Moral, and Physical'' (1891) 283pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=gztMAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:herbert+inauthor:spencer&lr=&num=30&as_brr=3 full text online] − * Spencer, Herbert. ''An Autobiography'' (1905, 2 vol) [http://books.google.com/books?id=gUozqCwTGkEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:herbert+inauthor:spencer&lr=&num=30&as_brr=3 full text online] − * [http://books.google.com/books?as_q=&num=30&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_brr=3&lr=&as_vt=&as_auth=herbert+spencer&as_pub=&as_sub=&as_drrb=c&as_miny=&as_maxy=&as_isbn= online writings of Spencer] − ==External links== − * [http://www.constitution.org/hs/ignore_state.htm The Right to Ignore the State] by Herbert Spencer. − *[http://www.bolender.com/Dr.%20Ron/SOC4044%20Sociological%20Theory/Class%20Sessions/Sociological%20Theory/Spencer,%20Herbert/spencer,_herbert.htm Extensive biography and overview of works] − *[http://www.bolender.com/Sociological%20Theory/Spencer,%20Herbert/spencer,_herbert.htm Review materials for studying Herbert Spencer] − * [http://books.google.com/books?as_q=&num=30&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_brr=3&lr=&as_vt=&as_auth=herbert+spencer&as_pub=&as_sub=&as_drrb=c&as_miny=&as_maxy=&as_isbn= online writings of Spencer] Line 47:
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revert possible vandalism -- please see Talk
'''Herbert Spencer''' (April 27, 1820 – December 8, 1903) was a highly influential [[English]] [[philosopher]] and [[political theorist]]. He had an encyclopedic range, writing on topics of government, ethics, education, economics, sociology, biology, psychology and anthropology. He originated some of the ideas of evolution picked up by [[Charles Darwin]]. Spencer's main theme was that powerful forces of social evolution were systematically making mankind better and better. In politics he was a 19th century liberal--similar to modern libertarians--who opposed to government intervention of any sort and provided the arguments that conservatives still use to oppose socialist and liberal proposals.
'''Herbert Spencer''' (April 27, 1820 – December 8, 1903) was an [[English]] [[philosopher]] and prominent [[liberal]] [[political theorist]]. He was a defender of [[Charles Darwin]]'s theory of [[evolution]], and coined the terms "the [[Survival of the fittest]]"<ref>''fit'' - meaning suitable, or the right size and shape, '''not''' ''fit'' as in athletically strong (although some have inferred this interpretation).</ref> and "the Descent of Man." Spencer, like many scientists of the time, was a [[deist]], which is to say he did not believe in [[God]] ''per se'', but only in ''a'' god. Eventually, Spencer became an [[agnostic]].
Spencer is largely remembered today for his theories of [[social Darwinism]], the idea that Darwinist evolutionary ideas applied to societies as well as people. Social Darwinism reached its political [[zenith]] in the [[Nazi]] regime of [[Adolf Hitler]], and is mostly discredited today.
Spencer was born into a poor but well-educated family. He was home-schooled by his father and his uncle Thomas Spencer, an evangelical clergyman who had been educated at Cambridge University. Starting at age 17 he spent four years as a civil engineer building railways, and the highly systematic engineering mode of analysis characterized his intellectual approaches. He never married.
Herbert Spencer died of poor health in 1903. He asked to be buried in the [[Highgate Cemetery]] of [[London]] so that he would be facing the grave of the [[atheist]] , [[Karl Marx]], the well-known founder of the [[Communist]] movement. A fair number of people travel each year to pay their respects to Marx and Spencer.
==Notes==
==Notes==
[[Category:Political Scientists]]
[[Category:Political Scientists]]
[[Category:Philosophers]]
[[Category:Philosophers]]
[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category:Agnostics]]
[[Category:Agnostics]]