Why did Herbert Spencer oppose extensive government intervention in society?

Herbert Spencer opposed extensive government intervention because he viewed society through the lens of social Darwinism, believing that human progress is driven by the same laws of natural selection that govern the biological world.123

Spencer argued that society is a struggle for existence where the "survival of the fittest" leads to the improvement of the population. From this perspective, he believed that state-sponsored social reforms—such as public education, sanitation, or aid to the poor—were harmful because they provided a "pernicious aid" to the "unfit," thereby impeding the natural success of the most talented members of society.1243

He maintained that laissez-faire capitalism and a minimal state were essential to promote unfettered competition. For Spencer, the government’s role should be strictly limited to protecting the lives and property of its citizens, acting essentially as a "night watchman" rather than an agent of social engineering. He viewed increasing state regulation as a dangerous development that threatened individual liberty and risked leading society toward a "coming slavery".234