Spencer, Herbert

Spencer, Herbert (1820–1903). Philosopher. Spencer was the son of a Derbyshire schoolteacher of radical and dissenting views. In the 1840s he joined Sturge's Complete Suffrage Union and in 1848 became subeditor of The Economist. His Social Statics, published in 1851, allowed the state only the minimum of defence and police functions: the struggles of individuals would, Spencer argued, strengthen the nation in an evolutionary fashion. Despite considerable nervous affliction, he published Education in 1861, advocating a child-centred approach and emphasizing the importance of science. He next moved into sociology and had publishing success. But his main thesis—the need to limit the intervention of the state—was at variance with the spirit of the times. The miscellany of his thought gave him influence, but he was not a trained thinker or a wide reader, and his fame faded fast. His Autobiography appeared in 1904 and renewed anxiety about the state led to some revival of interest in the 1980s.

J. A. Cannon