Herbert Spencer Essay - 13142 Words

[pic][pic] [pic] [pic][pic] Herbert Spencer | | |Biography: Herbert Spencer | Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) was an English philosopher, scientist, engineer, and political economist. In his day his works were important in popularizing the concept of evolution and played an important part in the development of economics, political science, biology, and philosophy. Herbert Spencer was born in Derby on April 27, 1820. His childhood, described in An Autobiography (1904), reflected the†¦show more content†¦His views concerning a science of sociology are elaborated in two major works, Descriptive Sociology (published in 17 volumes, 1873-1934) and The Study of Sociology (1873). Spencer was particularly influential in the United States until the turn of the century. According to William Graham Sumner, who used The Study of Sociology as a text in the first sociology course offered in an American university, it was Spencers work which established sociology as a separate, legitimate field in its own right. Spencers demand that historians present the natural history of society, in order to furnish data for a comparative sociology, is also credited with inspiring James Harvey Robinson and the others involved in the writing of the New History in the United States. Economic Theories Social philosophy in the latter part of the 19th century in the United States was dominated by Spencer. His ideas of laissez-faire and the survival of the fittest by natural selection fitted very well into an age of rapid expansion and ruthless business competition. Spencer provided businessmen with the reassuring notion that what they were doing was not just ruthless self-interest but was a natural law operating in nature and human society. Not only was competition in harmony with nature, but it was also in the interest of the general welfare and progress. Social Darwinism, orShow MoreRelated Social Darwinism: Herbert Spencer and The Catholic Church Essay479 Words   |  2 Pages Herbert Spencer was the most important Social Darwinist of the 19th Century. He was the first to begin thinking about evolutionist long before Darwin came out with his book on the Origins of Species. He had many theories such as that everything evolves from one basic creature and then breaks off into more diverse species (Haberman (Hab.), 171). His theory was that social, political, and intellectual movements were caused by the development from the homogeneous to the Read More Herbert Spencer Essay example1597 Words   |  7 PagesHerbert Spencer The most extreme reflection of nineteenth-century individualism is to be found in the encyclopedic system of Herbert Spencer (1820-1903). Both his paternal and maternal ancestors were of a long English and French nonconformists, dissenters and rebels, and Spencer traces in his amp;quot;Autobiographyamp;quot; his amp;quot;conspicuous disregardamp;quot; of political, religious, and social authority to the tradition of independence and dissent so long cherished by his family. Spencer’sRead MoreEssay on The Philosophies of Georg Hegel and Herbert Spencer1267 Words   |  6 Pages The Philosophies of Georg Hegel and Herbert Spencer The Philosophy of Georg Wilhelm Hegel (1770-1801) Metaphysics nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Georg Wilhelm Hegel aspired to find a philosophy that would embody all human experiences with the integration of not only science, but also religion, history, art, politics and beyond. Hegel’s metaphysical theory of absolute idealism claimed that reality was the absolute truth of all logic, spirit, and rational ideas encompassing all human experience andRead MoreWilliam Sumner and Sociology1103 Words   |  4 Pagesto sociology that includes the concept of ethnocentrism, the term folkways, and the term mores. Sumner was influenced by his parents but his major influence in the field of sociology was the English sociologist Herbert Spencer. Also, he influenced many people through his books, essays, and speeches. There are many surprising and interesting facts about William Sumner such as his time as an ordained minister and traveling to Europe to further his studies. Background William Graham Sumner wasRead MoreThe Rise Of Natural Science1425 Words   |  6 Pagessome philosophers or sociologists such as Herbert Spencer have developed it further (Gollin, 1970: 6; Turner, 2001: 30). However, the idea of positivism seems to have some issues; for example, basically the origin of sociology is biology though the goal is regarded to reach astronomic or physics fields (Johnson, 2008: 25). Therefore, there seem to be a tendency that both Comte and Spencer cannot explain their theories adequately to some extent. This essay argues that although the idea of the adoptionRead MoreIn Early Childhood, Play Diverges, Contingent On An Immense1351 Words   |  6 Pagescreativeness and imagination, promote an advanced configuration of play? How is it that a child learns to share and take turns? (Tomlin, 2007). One of the most influential classical theories is the theory of surplus energy, first developed by Herbert Spencer (1873). The surplus energy theory views play as instinctive, life-satisfying, and play that is an unconscious activity, without ulterior benefit. There is a common predisposition for people to be active, and play is the directionless release ofRead MoreThe Theory Of Social Darwinism1345 Words   |  6 Pagescandidates. Some believe a higher tax rate on the rich is the solution whiles others believe it will do more harm to the society good. I ask myself, should Mr. Herbert Spencer, Minister Graham Sumner, and Andrew Carnegie come back to life, what will be their response? The aforementioned are the considered the fathers of Social Darwinism. In this essay I will discuss and evaluate the theory of Social Darwinism. Social Darwinism, a theory that supposed that humans are subject to Darwin’s law of evolutionRead MoreThe Early Stages of Psychology974 Words   |  4 PagesLocke, a person will only gain knowledge once he or she interacts with the outside world and stimulate his or her sense organ (Raghunathan, 2001). This form of belief system also led Locke to publish a proclamation titled An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. In this essay Locke discussed the limits of human understanding in respect to God, oneself, nature, and artifacts as well as a variety of different kinds of ideas. It tells us in detail what we can claim to know and what we cannot. PeopleRead MoreSociology : A Sociological Perspective1292 Words   |  6 PagesWas well known for his essays Was the developer for the 4 Basic Ideal Types The focus on what motivates social action 4 Basic Ideal Types Zweckrational Individual rationally choose both goal and means Wertrational Striving for a goal Affectual Emotional state of the actor Traditional Customary habits Max Weber- Major Works The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Religion of China (1916) Religion of India (1916) Ancient Judaism (1917-1918) His last essay was â€Å"Economy and Society†Read MoreRelationship Between The Worker And The Capitalist997 Words   |  4 PagesIn recent times, inequality has been found on high levels all around the world, this is due to how the market functions and the relationship between the worker and the capitalist. In this essay, the characteristics of Capitalism will be described followed by an analysis of how it produces wealth inequality, however a political economical approach will be used. Emphasized are the thoughts of Karl Marx and Adam Smith. To begin with, Adam Smith in his book Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations