What did Herbert Spencer mean by laissez-faire economics?

For Herbert Spencer, laissez-faire economics was rooted in his commitment to individualism and his belief that society functions best when cooperation is voluntary rather than forced by the state. He viewed the industrial society as a system where order is naturally and delicately adjusted to the needs of all parties without central planning.1

Spencer argued that the state should be minimal, as government intervention—such as legislation regarding public health, education, or labor—impeded the positive development of society. He believed that such "ameliorative" policies acted as a "pernicious aid" to the "unfit," thereby hindering the natural progress achieved through the survival of the fittest, a term he coined. Consequently, he advocated for a "true liberalism" that sought to limit the powers of parliaments, fearing that excessive state control would lead to a "coming slavery" and undermine the preeminence of the individual over society.12