Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)
By: Kendra Kauffman
A little about him...
Spencer was born in England on April 27th, 1820. At a young age he was interested in individualism. Today, he is known as one of the top Social Darwinists as of the 19th century. He worked hard for the acceptance of the theory of evolution. This was his passion and he expressed that through his books and teachings. His main phrase that he went by was 'survival of the fittest'. This basically meant that the strongest species survived while the weaker ones died.
10 Facts
1. He is remembered for his defense of natural rights.
2. He called the study of sociology 'synthetic philosophy'.
3. Sociology became a discipline in the U.S. Because of his work.
4. One of his texts can be found at Harvard.
5. Spencer did not believe in public school systems.
6. Strongly emphasized individualism.
7. Believed that science was the only way to gain useful knowledge.
8. Gained education through reading.
9. Declined an offer to a university.
10. Believed that you can't learn unless it's through a scientific approach.