Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)

Biography in brief:

Herbert Spencer was a British social thinker, intellect, engineer, editor, and prolific writer of modern times. He was from a middle-class family and received his basic education from his father. Due to ill health, he could receive his formal education. He had more scientific education got from his father and uncle.

He worked as an engineer on the railway in Birmingham. He became the chief editor of ‘An Economics’ very popular journal at that time. As a voracious reader, he had deep knowledge in social sciences like economics, politics, history, philosophy, sociology, and other history genres.

He was highly influenced by Charles Darwin as he has got several ideas from the book ‘survival of the fittest. He also coined the term ‘Socio-Darwinism’.

Findings:

• He was of opinion that the evolutionary principle can be applied to human society as an organism.
• Both the organisms and society grow from simple to complex, uniform to multi-form, and homogeneity to heterogeneity.
• He identified four types of societies in terms of evolutionary development; simple, compound, doubly, and treble compound societies.
• He invented that evolution proceeds from military society to industrial society.

Description of Military society and Industrial society

Characteristics	Military Society	Industrialized Society
Dominant function	Corporate defensive and offensive activity for preservation and aggrandization.	Peaceful, mutual rendering of individual services
Principle of Social co-ordination	Compulsory; regimentation by reinforcement of orders, both positive and negative regulation by activity	Voluntary co-operation regulation by contact and principles of justice
Relations between state and individual	The individual exists for the benefit of the state, restrains on liberty property, and mobility	The state exists for the benefit of individuals, freedom and restrains on property and mobility
Structure of state	Centralized	Decentralized
Types of Economic Activity	Economic autonomy and self-sufficiency	Laws of economic autonomy, interdependence via peaceful trade
Structure of Social Stratification	Fixity of rank, occupation, and locality, the inheritance of positions	Plasticity and openness of rank, occupation, and locality, movement of between positions
Valued Social and personal characters	Patriotism, courage, reverence, loyalty, obedience, faith in authority, and discipline	Independence, respect for others, resistance to coercion, individual initiative, truthfulness, and kindness

Continued and you may also like Emile Durkheim.