Herbert spencer - Sociological Theory

Herbert spencer Sociological Theory

1. HERBERT SPENCER “The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.”

2. Introduction Herbert Spencer – An English philosopher, biologist, anthropologist, sociologist and a political theorist of the Victorian Era(During the rule of Queen Victoria). 19 th Century He is best remembered for his work “Social Darwinism”.

3. About Belongs to United Kingdom Born on 27 th April 1820 Died on 8 th December 1903 Age – 73 He is known for his works in psychology, sociology and biology.

4. Personal Life Spencer was the son of George Spencer who was a school teacher. He completed limited formal education with the help of his uncle, Thomas Spencer. He studied natural sciences like Math, Physics, Empirical Sciences and Latin. He rejected his offer for higher education from his uncle and chose to study on his own.

5. Personal Life Spencer was a strong believer of the theory of evolution. He advocated the superiority of sciences over religion. His views were highly influenced by his father and uncle.

6. Career After his education, he worked as a teacher for few months. From 1837-1841 he worked as a railway civil engineer for which he was professionally trained. Later, he turned towards Journalism and political writing.

7. Career He worked for a weekly, The Economist as a sub-editor and writer. Through his job he had contacts with many political controversialists. One among them was George Eliot(Novelist), some of their friends thought that the would get married but Spencer revealed that he had no such desires through his Autobiography and added that he only admired her intellectual power.

8. Works In 1851 Spencer published his first book,  Social Statics, or the Conditions Essential to Human Happiness. This book deals with the conditions of social order, and was an introduction to the study of human progress and evolution.

9. Works In 1855 , Spencer published his second book,  The Principles of Psychology . The Principles of Psychology was much less successful than  Social Statics , however, and about this time Spencer began to experience serious (predominantly mental) health problems that affected him for the rest of his life. This led him to seek privacy, and he increasingly avoided appearing in public.

10. Works A System of Synthetic Philosophy (1862- 93) is nine volume work which provided an account of his views in biology, sociology, ethics and politics.

11. Spencer and the Theory of Evolution Herbert Spencer, an English sociologist, took Darwin's theory and applied it to how societies change and evolve over time. Similarities between animal organisms and societies in that both had three main systems. Simple –> Complex (Like Organisms).

12. Societies can be compared to organisms in that both have three main systems

13. Social Darwinism The theory of  Social Darwinism  created the thinking of the 'survival of the fittest‘. The strongest and the fittest should survive and flourish in society. The weak should be allowed to die out. This allowed Spencer to believe that the rich and powerful became so because they were better-suited to the social and economic climate of the time. He believed it was natural or normal that the strong survived at the cost of the weak.