Herbert Spencer, a key figure in Victorian sociology, introduced the concept of 'survival of the fittest' and the organismic analogy of society. His functionalist perspective compared society to a biological organism, influencing later theorists and sparking the controversial Social Darwinism doctrine. Spencer's ideas, while innovative, faced criticism for their lack of empirical testing and oversimplification of social complexities.
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Herbert Spencer was born into a family that valued free thinking and self-education
Spencer's self-study in the natural sciences provided the foundation for his later work
Spencer's career as a writer and editor for various publications, including The Economist, equipped him with the knowledge and perspective that would inform his sociological theories
Spencer's functionalist perspective posited that society is akin to a biological organism, with various institutions functioning interdependently to maintain social order and stability
Spencer's application of natural science principles to the study of societies was a significant departure from the religious and metaphysical explanations of the past, contributing to the emergence of sociology as a distinct scientific discipline
Spencer's work laid the groundwork for later functionalist theorists, including Talcott Parsons, and influenced the development of social and cultural anthropology
Spencer's theory of Social Darwinism, which predated Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species," applied the concept of natural selection to human societies
Spencer's perspective was used to justify a range of social policies and ideologies, from laissez-faire capitalism to eugenics and racial segregation
Spencer's views were later co-opted and misapplied by groups such as the Nazis, who distorted his ideas to support their own agendas
Spencer proposed that societies, like organisms, evolve from simple to complex forms and consist of various "systems" that correspond to biological systems
Spencer's analogy has been criticized for oversimplifying the complexities of social structures and for failing to account for the unique aspects of human agency and consciousness
Despite criticisms, Spencer's contributions to sociology continue to be studied and debated, reflecting his lasting impact on the field and the broader intellectual landscape of the 19th and 20th centuries
00
The term '______ of the fittest,' central to Social Darwinism, was coined by ______ Spencer.
survival
Herbert
01
Despite not attending the ______ of ______, ______ Spencer became a renowned philosopher through self-education and his writings.
University
Cambridge
Herbert
02
Herbert Spencer's analogy for society
Compared society to a biological organism, with interdependent institutions maintaining social order.
