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Herbert Spencer

            Herbert Spencer had two major evolutionary theories which included the size of societies .
             and the evolution from militant to industrial societies. His theory on the size of a society relates directly to the needs of society as it expanded and subsequently needed more organizations to support it. It was his belief that organizations themselves would grow and require expansions in order to adapt to the larger environments.
             As for the evolution of societies he characterized militant societies or early societies as those that were more concerned with defense and offensive warfare. He even stated how warfare would initially yield a good by bringing societies together, but noted how war could have a negative effect on a society which was already developed. Industrial societies unlike militant societies are merit based in that a person is judged on his accomplishments and skills he has to offer to the society. Unlike earlier forms of society like the monarchy people aren't born into status and power, instead they have to earn it. These industrial societies also shifted the government's emphasis from telling people how to live and what they should do to only telling people what they should not do.
             This idea of government having a hands off approach is something that Spencer agreed with. It is a topic that people had to deal with in the past, are dealing with in the present and will continue to debate in the future. Spencer had the "survival of the fittest" ideology and if people couldn't do for themselves, then it's best they die off and not infect the world with their unfit offspring. But unlike Darwin his statement was not just a biological idea, it had deeper political connotations to it. Here in America every election a presidential candidate expresses to the nation how much and what type of governmental programs he or she will introduce. Liberals have traditionally wanted more social programs while conservatives lined themselves closer to Spencer's ideas.


Essays Related to Herbert Spencer

1. The Evolutionary Nature Of Comte And Spencer

It has been argued that the theme of evolution runs through the work of both Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer, perhaps as an attempt to legitimate the new social order. ... (Comte, 16) Spencer's theory of social change also contains the influence of evolutionary thinking, as he saw society as an organism which evolved similar to the organisms of biology. ... The evolutionary nature of Spencer's theory is especially apparent when his conclusion is analyzed. ... (Spencer, 115) Spencer uses evolutionary theory to aggressively legitimate the new social ord...

  • Word Count: 1058
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Human Behavior and Human abilities are Strongly Shaped by He

Discuss whether Philippe Rushton, Stephen Jay Gould, Herbert Spencer, T. ... Herbert Spencer would not agree that human behavior and abilities are hereditary. Herbert Spencer believed in evolution through natural selection gives a guarantee of inevitable human social progress and natural selection produces ethical progress in humans. Herbert Spencer also believed the principle of the "survival of the fittest" which shows us how to speed up evolutionary progress in society today. ... Huxley would not agree that human behavior and abilities are hereditary like Herbert Spencer. ...

  • Word Count: 742
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3. Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer - Sociology Theorists

Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer were both early sociology theorists who played vital roles in the development of structural functionalism. ... Both Spencer and Comte were concerned with the evolution of the world, Comte was mainly interested in the evolution of ideas, whereas Spencer focused on structural (and functional) evolution (Ritzer 130). Politically, Comte and Spencer differed. ... Spencers third dimension is definiteness or in other words, segregation. ... There are many differences regarding Comtes and Spencers political views. ...

  • Word Count: 1095
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

4. Theories of Sociology

Herbert Spencer was another major theorist that contributed greatly to the development of sociology. Spencer used the Darwinistic approach to society. ... In relation to social dynamics, Spencer said that evolution is natural in a society. ... Spencer was also an advocate of the idea of laissez- faire. Spencer was fundamentally opposed to the government. ...

  • Word Count: 1068
  • Approx Pages: 4

5. Social Darwinism and Eugenics

Possibly the only obvious social Darwinist using this definition was Herbert Spencer. ... Connecting these social questions and evolutionary theory of survival of the fittest was the answer that was championed by Herbert Spencer amongst others. ... Herbert Spencer had a hand in Darwin's theory of evolution by coining the term "survival of the fittest" which Darwin later used himself. ... To answer this question one must start with Herbert Spencer. An English philosopher, Herbert Spencer might be singlehandedly responsible for what people today see as social Darwinism, which i...

  • Word Count: 3313
  • Approx Pages: 13
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

6. Feudalism in Europe

English philosopher and political theorist, Herbert Spencer once said, "Feudalism, serfdom, slavery, all tyrannical institutions, are merely the most vigorous kind to rule, springing out of, and necessarily to, a bad state of man." To understand what Spencer meant is to understand the origins and development of European feudalism. ... When Herbert Spencer stated, "Feudalism, serfdom, slavery are merely the most vigorous kind to rule, springing out of, and necessarily to, a bad state of man...... Unfortunately, as Spencer further articulates, this kind of system progressed into j...

  • Word Count: 1485
  • Approx Pages: 6

7. Social Darwinism

Herbert Spencer, the "father of social Darwinism", was a philosopher and scientist who developed his own theory, "the survival of the fittest". Spencer saw human society as an evolutionary process in which the wealthy and powerful were the fittest and better adapted to their environment, where the poor, deemed unfit, could not compete. Spencer believed that was not only right but it was natural. ... Spencer, and many others, believed the arguments in Favor of Social Darwinism white Anglo-Saxons were the fittest since they were the most civilized and wealthiest of societies. ...

  • Word Count: 500
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

8. Paradigms In Sociology IIIII

Auguste Comte, Emile Durkheim, Herbert Spencer, Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton were all key contributors to the structural-functional paradigm. ... Another important sociologist was Herbert Spencer. Spencer looked at society as a human body with all the parts of the body work together to keep us alive, just like society. ... Talcott Parsons took and carried the ideas Comte, Durkheim, and Spencer and looked at society as a system. ...

  • Word Count: 1336
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Action That Leads To Satisfaction

Action that Leads to Satisfaction As Herbert Spencer eloquently puts it "The great aim of education is not knowledge but action." Aspiring students for universities begin and plan their future long before applications are sent in. There are many intelligent people, who lack degrees and bachelo...

  • Word Count: 1055
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

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