Herbert Spencer: References & Edit History
More Articles On This Topic
Additional Reading
Mark Francis, Herbert Spencer and the Invention of Modern Life (2007); Tim S. Gray, Herbert Spencer’s Political Philosophy: Individualism and Organicism (1996); John Offer, Herbert Spencer and Social Theory (2010); J.D.Y. Peel, Herbert Spencer: The Evolution of a Sociologist (1971); Michael Taylor, Men Versus the State: Herbert Spencer and Late Victorian Individualism (1992); David Wiltshire, The Social and Political Thought of Herbert Spencer (1978).
Major Works
Philosophy and religion
The Nature and Reality of Religion: A Controversy Between Frederic Harrison and Herbert Spencer (1885) and Spencer’s Synthetic Philosophy series, comprising The Principles of Psychology (1855), First Principles (1862), The Principles of Biology, 2 vol. (1864–67), The Principles of Sociology, 3 vol. (1876–96), and The Principles of Ethics, 2 vol. (1892–93).
Politics and social science
The Proper Sphere of Government (1843), Social Statics (1851), Education: Intellectual, Moral, and Physical (1861), The Study of Sociology (1872), The Man Versus the State (1884), and Facts and Comments (1902).
Other works
Essays: Scientific, Political, and Speculative, 3 vol. (1891) and An Autobiography (1904), an intellectual rather than a personal autobiography.
Article Contributors
Primary Contributors
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Harry Burrows Acton
Professor of Moral Philosophy, University of Edinburgh, 1964–74.
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
Other Contributors
- Marc Songini
- SUSAN TOTH
Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors
Article History
| Type | Description | Contributor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modified link of Web site: Libertarianism.org - Herbert Spencer (1820-1903). | Oct 02, 2026 | ||
| Anniversary information added. | Apr 23, 2026 | ||
| Add new Web site: Linda Hall Library - Herbert Spencer. | Jan 28, 2026 | ||
| Anniversary information added. | Dec 04, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: Online Library of Liberty - OLLs April Birthday: Herbert Spencer (April 27, 1820 December 8, 1903). | May 27, 2025 | ||
| Questions and answers added. | Feb 12, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: Academia - Herbert Spencer (PDF). | Jan 30, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: Philosophy Now - Forgotten Philosophers: Herbert Spencer. | Oct 11, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: Saylor.org - Herbert Spencer. | Aug 21, 2024 | ||
| First paragraph modernization. | Apr 10, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: Online Library of Liberty - Herbert Spencer. | Apr 05, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: Social Sci LibreTexts - Spencer and Social Darwinism. | Jan 25, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Herbert Spencer's Contributions to Behavior Analysis: A Retrospective Review of Principles of Psychology. | Nov 03, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: PBS - American Experience - Biography of Herbert Spencer. | Jul 28, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Humanist Heritage - Herbert Spencer (1820-1903). | Jun 03, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Frontiers - Frontiers in Sociology - Social Solidarity and Herbert Spencer: Not the Oxymoron That Might Be Assumed. | Apr 21, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Libertarianism.org - Herbert Spencer (1820-1903). | Jan 26, 2023 | ||
| Cross-references to various articles added. | Jan 13, 2021 | ||
| Corrected display issue. | Sep 13, 2019 | ||
| Add new Web site: Unesco - International Bureau of Education - Biography of Herbert Spencer. | Aug 01, 2016 | ||
| In the second reference to Descriptive Sociology, corrected a typo in the title. |
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Jan 27, 2016 | |
| Added mention of Spencer's views on education. |
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Oct 01, 2015 | |
| Bibliography revised and updated. | May 12, 2015 | ||
| Major works section revised. | May 12, 2015 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Apr 20, 2015 | ||
| Added photograph. | Nov 26, 2014 | ||
| Add new Web site: The University of Alabama - Department of Religious Studies - Biography of Herbert Spencer. | Aug 19, 2013 | ||
| Added new Web site: The Victorian Web - Herbert Spencer. | Dec 26, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: Public Broadcasting Service - American Experience - Biography of Herbert Spencer. | Dec 26, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Biography of Herbert Spencer. | Sep 17, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: Minnesota State University - Biography of Herbert Spencer. |
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Apr 26, 2007 | |
| Added new Web site: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Biography of Herbert Spencer. | Jun 27, 2006 | ||
| Article added to new online database. | Jul 20, 1998 |