The Principles of Sociology: Volumes 1, 2 & 3

by Herbert Spencer (Editor), Jonathan H. Turner (Introduction)

Herbert Spencer sought to unify all of the sciences and ethics under a common set of theoretical principles loosely derived from the physics of his time and outlined in First Principles (1862). The Principles of Sociology was a later work in Spencer's grand scheme, with the first installments appearing in 1874 and continuing until 1896. The re-issue of the complete volumes of this great work will stimulate renewed interest in Spencer's sociology, not just as an historical curiosity, but as a body of work that can still inform sociology. Indeed, at a time when it seems sociology has mined its classics for all the gold they contain, Spencer's work provides a "mother lode" of new treasures. Sociologists and others will be surprised at the profound insights they will find in The Principles of Sociology.

This complete three volume set of The Principles is divided into eight "Parts." Part I sets up the approach for the rest of the volumes. Here, Spencer distinguishes the inorganic, organic, and superorganic realms of the universe, with the most important comparison being the differences between the organic and superorganic. The most well-known sections appear in Part II on "The Introductions of Sociology" where the similarities and differences between superorganic and organic bodies are introduced. However, there is much more to Part II because here the basic theory is developed, which still informs contemporary sociology. Approximately two thirds of The Principles of Sociology is dedicated to analysis of human institutional systems. In these pages, which comprise Parts III-VIII of The Principles, Spencer mobilizes even more data to develop specific principles about the operation of institutional systems.

The Principles of Sociology is filled with insights and still worthwhile principles on the dynamics of human organization. Portrayals of Spencer as a naive functionalist and advocate of laissez-faire are inaccurate and unfair, as these volumes demonstrate. Spencer presents us with a set of principles about the operation of human societies. This book will be essential to sociologists, and others professionally interested in social science theory and the history of ideas.

Genres: Sociology

2240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1896

About the author

Herbert Spencer was an English philosopher, biologist, anthropologist, sociologist, and prominent classical liberal political theorist of the Victorian era.

Spencer developed an all-embracing conception of evolution as the progressive development of the physical world, biological organisms, the human mind, and human culture and societies. He was "an enthusiastic exponent of evolution" and even "wrote about evolution before Darwin did." As a polymath, he contributed to a wide range of subjects, including ethics, religion, anthropology, economics, political theory, philosophy, literature, biology, sociology, and psychology. During his lifetime he achieved tremendous authority, mainly in English-speaking academia. "The only other English philosopher to have achieved anything like such widespread popularity was Bertrand Russell, and that was in the 20th century." Spencer was "the single most famous European intellectual in the closing decades of the nineteenth century" but his influence declined sharply after 1900; "Who now reads Spencer?" asked Talcott Parsons in 1937.

Spencer is best known for coining the expression "survival of the fittest", which he did in Principles of Biology (1864), after reading Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species. This term strongly suggests natural selection, yet as Spencer extended evolution into realms of sociology and ethics, he also made use of Lamarckism.

Reviews

[Honza Pohl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Povinná četba dvou kapitol - o povaze sociologie a psychologie, do mého univerzitního kurzu Dějiny scg. teorií 19. st. Autor byl sociální darwinista - propagoval myšlenku sociálního evolucionismu, tzn. nejlépe se ve společnosti bude žít těm nejpřizpůsobivějším ke svému sociálnímu prostředí. Další myšlenky: liberální (průmyslový) stát je lepším státem, vysoká přizpůsobivost nemusí není nutně spojena s vysokou inteligencí, fyzická stavba člověka (pohlaví) má značný vliv na naší psychologickou stavbu a determinuje naše sociální jednání ve společnosti, přirovnává společnost k lidskému tělu: společnosti se skládá z mnoha institucí (tj. rodina, školská soustava, atp., Každá má svou funkci) - stejně tak jako lidské tělo se skládá z mnoha orgánů, který každý má svou jedinečnou funkci.