Herbert Spencer

Dr. Sasmita Mishra

KSOM, Bhubaneswar
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Brief Bio
• 27 April 1820 – 8 December 1903
• English philosopher, biologist, anthropologist, sociologist, and
prominent classical liberal political theorist of the Victorian era.
• Spencer extended evolution into realms of sociology and ethics, he
also made use of Lamarckism.
• Spencer believed in two kinds of knowledge: knowledge gained by
the individual and knowledge gained by the race.
• Intuition, or knowledge learned unconsciously, was the inherited
experience of the race.
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
His Contributions

Social
Darwinism
Theory of
Organic
analogy
Theory of
Social
Evolution
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Theory of Social Evolution
Evolution Meaning
• Evolution comes from the latin word 'evolve'
meaning develop or unfold.
• Literally means gradual unfolding or
unrolling
• It implies continuous change that takes
place especially in some structure.
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Theory of Social Evolution
Herbert Spencer’s Social Evolution
• He believed that evolution is universal because it is applicable to physical,
organic and social world.
• For him, evolution is a change from a state of relatively indefinite, incohorent
homogenity to a definite cohorent heterogenity.
• Behind every development, the supreme law of evolution operates.
• Change from simplicity to complexity
• Simple society
• Compound society
• Doubly compound society
• Trebly compound society
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Theory of Social Evolution
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Theory of Social Evolution
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Activity
• Choose one kind of society, discuss among the group members and
prepare a web of information about each society.
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Militant Society Vs. Industrial Society
• To Spencer, there were two types of societies
• Simpler (militant society: structured around a social relationship of
hierarchy and obedience)
• Complex (industrial society: Based on voluntary, contractually
assumed relations)
• Militant societies supposedly evolved into industrial ones over time
and social revolution
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Theory of Organic Analogy
• Spencer is popularly known for his theory, organic analogy
• Established the hypothesis that society is like the biological
organism and then proceeded to defend it against all objections
with great logical force
• Spencer came to sociology via biology
• Therefore, he drew analogy between the society and the biological
organism
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Theory of Organic Analogy
• He concentrated on bringing forth wonderful
parallels between organic and social evolution,
similarities in the structure and evolution of
organic and social units.
• Spencer believed that social structure is a living
organism
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Theory of Organic Analogy
Similarities between Biological and Social Organism – As
visualized by Spencer
1. Similarity in visible growth: A child grows up to be a man,
tiny community becomes a metropolitan area, small state
becomes an empire
2. An increase in the complexity of structure: Amoeba and
mammals – primitive societies vs. complex societies
3. Differentiation of structure leading to differentiation of
functions
4. Change in structure leads to change in functions
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Theory of Organic Analogy
5. Differentiation as well as harmony of organs: Each organ is
complementary to the other and not opposed – holds true both in
the body of a living organism and society
6. Loss of an organ does not necessarily result in the loss of organism:
Loss of limb does not result in death – similarly disintegration of a
political party does not lead to decay of society
7. Similar process and methods of organization: elimentary system of
an organism is similar to sustaining system in the society;
circulation system parallel to distributing system – in both
developed regulating systems
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Theory of Organic Analogy
Differences between organism and society – As visualized by Spencer
1. Organs are organized, all parts of society are interdependent Society
does not have a definite form as does the organism: Society is a mental
construct. It is abstract and exists in our mind only in the form of an
idea.
2. Manner of difference in the dependence of organs or parts on the
organism or society: Legs, hands are dependent upon the body.
Individuals, families, groups etc. are more important than the society.
Society exists for the benefits of the parts (the individuals).
the above shows the individualism philosophy of Spencer – society
exists for the good of the individual and not the vice versa.
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Theory of Organic Analogy
3. Difference regarding the centrality of “consciousness” : In an
organism, there exists what is known as “consciousness” and it is
concentrated in a small part of the aggregate. The parts of the body
do not have this. But in the case of the society consciousness is
diffused throughout the individual members
4. Differences regarding the structure and functions: Eyes, ears, nose
etc do not change their functions – institutions in society such as
family change their functions
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Theory of Organic Analogy
Critical Comments:
• Spencer used his organic analogy in a ridiculous manner: compared
king’s council to medulla oblongata, house of lords to the
cerebellum, and the house of commons to cerebrum. He failed to
understand the limitations of his analogy.
• If society is like an organism, it experiences a natural cycle of birth,
maturity, old age and death. But death of society does not come
with organic inevitableness. A society need not die.
• He had spoken about uniformity in the process of evolution, but in
the same stage of evolution societies don't have identical politics,
religion or ethics.
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Social Darwinism
• Herbert Spencer’s sociology might be described as social Darwinism
mixed with Lamarckism.
• Principle of the survival of the fittest- more fit (wealthy, powerful);
less fit (widow, orphans).
• Social Darwinism propagates the belief that society, as an organism,
survives by eliminating the weak, in this case the poor, while the
stronger units, that is, the rich, survive as the fittest.
• Thus, the rich grew over the poor and the weak.
• Since there were natural inequalities among people, class stratification
was the natural outcome.
• The rich had control over property and was perceived to possess
superior qualities such as industriousness, morality, and temperance.
https://www.communica
tiontheory.org/social-
darwinism/
Dr. Sasmita Mishra
Social Darwinism
Criticisms
• Had racial overtones
• Survival of the fittest indirectly supports status quo
• Does not take into account enermous increase in population in
certain countries
• Has less credibility in contemporary social scientists