Herbert Spencer

by Hugh S.R. Elliot

Text extracted from opening pages of book: MAKERS OF THE' NiNETEKNTH CENTURY Edited by BASIE'- XLUAMS HERBERT SPENCER BY HUGH ELLIOT NEW YORK HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 1917 HERBERT SPENCER From a painting in the National Portrait Gallery by J, B. Burgess, K. A, GENERAL EDITOR'S PREFACE WHATEVER may be thought to-day of the value of Spencer's writings, no one who wishes to under stand the thought of the nineteenth century can neglect him. His system of philosophy influenced his generation, not only in England, but in America and elsewhere; even those most pro foundly antagonistic to it thought it necessary to reckon with it and answer it: in science, though not entirely in accord with Darwin, he helped to popularise evolutionary ideas: in politics he repre sented, if he did not lead, a body of opinion which had great influence in his day, an influence which even in these warlike times, so abhorrent as they would have been to Spencer, is not entirely dead. Mr. Elliot's qualifications for the task of expound ing Herbert Spencer's already almost neglected tenets to the present generation are well brought out in his introductory chapter. Once a fervent admirer of Spencer, so fervent that he carried volumes of the philosopher about with him when campaigning in the South African veldt, he has since re-read him, and without losing all his former love can criticise Spencer in the light of history and of vi GENERAL EDITOR'S PREFACE to-day's needs. As far as one can see, whether as a philosopher or a man of science, Spencer is not likely to live for future generations. If he lives at all, it will no doubt be as a political thinker representative of a school of politicians, wedded to individualismand to peace, who, though never hitherto able to resist the torrent of national, excitement at its height, are likely always to persist as they have in our past history, not least when we have been engaged in great wars which have held the imagination of the majority; the school represented by a Bedford in Chatham's day, a Fox or a Stanhope in the day of Chatham's son, , a Cobden and a Bright in the Victorian era. BASIL WILLIAMS. CHELSEA, September, 1916. PREFACE I HAVE pleasure in making acknowledgments of assistance ( mostly unconscious) rendered me in the preparation of this volume by many of Herbert Spencer's friends. My estimate of his character is based, not only on a careful study of all his published works, and of works written about him by others, but on conversations carried on, many of them years ago, with such friends of Spencer as Lord and Lady Courtney, Mrs. Sidney Webb, Mrs. Henry Hobhouse, the late Mrs. Meinertzhagen, Mr. Henry Tedder, Sir Ray Lankester, the late Dr. Charlton Bastian, Mr. Geoffrey Williams ( Spencer's publisher), the late Mr. Thomas Mackay, and others. The view I have presented of Spencer, however, is my own. I have to th. ank. the Herbert Spencer Trustees for permission to publish a letter; and also Mr. Geoffrey Williams for showing me the letter; and more particularly for lending me a copy of the original and private edition of the Autobiography, of which six copies only were printed in all. I have to thank him further for the loan of a copy of the suppressed book The Nature and Reality o Religion/' which is now altogether unobtainable. H. E. CONTENTS PAGB GENERAL EDITOR'S PREFACE v PREFACE vii CHAP. I. INTRODUCTION I II. LIFE ........ 10 III.CHARACTER 50 IV. PHILOSOPHY 77 V. INTRODUCTION TO SPENCER'S SOCIAL WRITINGS 92 VI. GENERAL SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPLES OF SOCIOLOGY 128 VII. GENERAL SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPLES OF ETHICS 181 VIII. METAPHYSICS AND RELIGION . . .216 IX. EVOLUTION 233 X. BIOLOGY 249 XL PSYCHOLOGY ....... 273 XII. EDUCATION 292 XIII. CONCLUSION 305 BIBLIOGRAPHY 315 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE 321 INDEX 325 H. S. b HERBERT SPENCER CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION THE relation of philosophy to war is a question that has occupied many of the most powerful minds in all countries through all ages. The study of tha

344 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2007

About the author

Hugh Samuel Roger Elliot (1881-1930)