Herbert Spencer

This volume makes a compelling case for the continued relevance and significance of Herbert Spencer (1820-1904), one of the foremost intellectuals of the Victorian era whose work now tends to be regarded as being of purely historical interest. One of the originators of the evolutionary classical liberal or libertarian approach exemplified later by F. A. Hayek, Spencer engaged with such issues as the relationship between the individual and the state; the nature of majoritarian democracy; the legitimacy of private property; the consequences of the transition from relatively simple, feudal communities to complex, industrial societies; and the causes of war and the prospects of international peace. For him the future was individualist. However, as the scope of state action expanded and classical liberal ideas became increasingly marginalised during the course of his life, Spencer grew ever more pessimistic about the future prospects for liberty. Cover HalfTitle Series Title Copyright Contents Series Editor's Preface Acknowledgements 1 Introduction 2 The Life and the Character Family and Dissent The World of Letters and The Economist George Eliot, Laurencina Potter, Beatrice Webb A Life of Books and Illness 3 Ideas Free Trade and the Proper Sphere of Government 'Tapas' of Synthetic Philosophy Spencer's Early Dabbling with Political Philosophy The Law of Equal Freedom and the Principle of Utility Militancy and Industrialism Industrialism and Paci/ sm The Fate of the Unfit The Occasional Communist The Limits of Corporate Capitalism Divine Parliaments Herbert Spencer, Our Contemporary 4 Herbert Spencer's Offspring A Progeny of Apostates To the Right of the Father Born in America 5 Who Should Read Spencer Today? Spencerian Themes for the Twentieth Century A Patron Saint for Anarchy? Towards a New Social Darwinism? An Author for Today? Bibliography Index Title......Page 6 Copyright......Page 7 Contents......Page 8 Series Editor’s Preface......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 12 1. Introduction......Page 14 2. The Life and the Character......Page 19 3. Ideas......Page 38 4. Herbert Spencer’s Offspring......Page 123 5. Who Should Read Spencer Today?......Page 147 Bibliography......Page 165 Index......Page 178 This is volume 18 in the Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers series.