Herbert Spencer

English philosopher, biologist, sociologist, and prominent classical liberal political theorist

Why Is Herbert Spencer Influential?

According to Wikipedia, Herbert Spencer was an English philosopher, biologist, anthropologist, and sociologist famous for his hypothesis of social Darwinism whereby superior physical force shapes history. Spencer originated the expression "survival of the fittest", which he coined in Principles of Biology after reading Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species. The term strongly suggests natural selection, yet Spencer saw evolution as extending into realms of sociology and ethics, so he also supported Lamarckism.

Herbert Spencer's Published Works

Number of citations in a given year to any of this author's works

Total number of citations to an author for the works they published in a given year. This highlights publication of the most important work(s) by the author

Published Papers

GUY'S WILL. (417)
The structure of the nervous system. (1870) (415)
Education: Intellectual, Moral and Physical (1862) (249)
Progress: Its law and cause. (1875) (180)
The Data of Ethics (1879) (137)
What is social evolution. (1907) (125)
Facts and Comments (1902) (94)
The social organism. (1875) (56)
Social Statics (55)
The maintenance of species. (1879) (51)
The South-African war. (1907) (51)
The development hypothesis. (1875) (40)
Parliamentary reform: The dangers and the safeguards. (1878) (33)
The principles of psychology, Vol 1 (2nd ed.). (1870) (33)
What Knowledge is of Most Worth? (1898) (32)
The factors to organic evolution (1887) (30)
The principles of ethics (Vol 1). (1897) (27)
Reasoning in general. (1855) (25)
The principles of psychology, Vol. 2, 2nd ed. (1872) (24)
The Philosophy of Style (1892) (23)
The Comparative Psychology of Man (1876) (23)
The genesis of science (1887) (19)
The principles of sociology : in three volumes (1909) (17)
Illustrations of Universal Progress: A Series of Discussions (1864) (15)
A rejoinder to professor Weismann (1893) (13)
Essays: Moral, Political and Aesthetic (1865) (12)
Railway morals and railway policy. (1878) (11)
Manners and Fashion. (1875) (11)
A series of articles. (1904) (10)
II.—The Comparative Psychology of Man. (1876) (10)
Specialized Administration. (9)
Harveian Oration (1861) (9)
From Freedom to Bondage. (8)
A Plea For Liberty (1891) (8)
The Coming Slavery (1892) (8)
Mill versus Hamilton--The test of truth. (1878) (7)
The New Toryism (1892) (7)
Reflex Action. (7)
The Potato Tuber Moth in the East (6)
Imperialism and slavery. (1902) (6)
Classification des sciences (1872) (5)
The functions of the nervous system. (1870) (5)
THE SOCIOLOGICAL VIEW (1879) (5)
A society is an organism. (1879) (5)
Bain on the emotions and the will. (1875) (5)
Our present position. (1855) (4)
La educación : intelectual, moral y física (1891) (4)
The Great Political Superstition (1892) (4)
Consciousness in general. (1855) (4)
Personal Beauty. (4)
The Descriptive sociology. (1904) (3)
The nebular hypothesis (1891) (3)
An epitome of the Synthetic philosophy (1889) (3)
Progress : its law and cause : with other disquisitions ... (1881) (3)
THE BIOLOGICAL VIEW (1879) (3)
XV. On Circulation and the Formation of Wood in Plants. (1866) (3)
Evolution and dissolution. (1880) (3)
Transcendental Physiology. (3)
Epitome of the Synthetic Philosophy of Herbert Spencer (1897) (3)
Back at home. (1904) (2)
Illogical Geology. (2)
Exogamy and endogamy. (1879) (2)
An autobiography [of Herbert Spencer] in two volumes, Vol 2. (1904) (2)
An idle year. (1904) (2)
Over-Legislation.* (2)
ALTRUISM VERSUS EGOISM (2)
The reform of company-law. (1902) (2)
Use and beauty. (1875) (2)
The formula of justice. (1897) (2)
State tampering with money and banks. (1878) (2)
The use of anthropomorphism. (1875) (2)
The primitive man—Intellectual. (1879) (2)
The Feelings. (2)
Mr. tylor's review of the principles of sociology (1877) (2)
A nomadic period. (1904) (2)
The nervous system. (1870) (1)
The scope of psychology. (1870) (1)
The Persistence of Force.* (1)
The relativity of knowledge (1877) (1)
WAYS OF JUDGING CONDUCT (1)
The principles of psychology, Vol I (2nd edition). (1910) (1)
The world as force (1879) (1)
Principles of Ethics: Justice (1893) (1)
The dynamics of consciousness. (1872) (1)
State-Tamperings with Money and Banks. (1)
The principles of biology / by Herbert Spencer. (1)
The persistence of relations among forces. (1)
The rights of children. (1892) (1)
Representative Bodies. (1)
The closing hours. (1902) (1)
The purpose of art. (1902) (1)
The factors of social phenomena. (1879) (1)
What ideas and sentiments are ethical (1)
The principles of psychology, Vol 1 (authorized [4th] ed.). (1)
Perception in general. (1)
Mr. Herbert Spencer and the Land Restoration League (1894) (1)
Development of conceptions. (1872) (1)
V. —REPLIES TO CRITICISIMS ON THE DATA OF ETHICS (1881) (1)
Sub-human justice. (1897) (1)
A parliamentary survey. (1904) (1)
A tour in Italy. (1904) (1)
The Principles of Psychology (1)
The constitution of the state. (1892) (1)
System of philosophy projected. (1904) (0)
Military Systems. (0)
Consciousness in General. (0)
The ideas of another world. (1879) (0)
The Right to Free Industry. (0)
The Harveian Oration (1897) (0)
The Instability of the Homogeneous.* (0)
Restraints on displays of ability. (1897) (0)
The integration of correspondences. (1855) (0)
The Degree of Life Varies as the Degree of Correspondence. (0)
Part V.—Physical synthesis. (1896) (0)
Evolution and Dissolution. (0)
The Correspondence as Direct and Homogeneous. (0)
Pecuniary aid to relatives and friends. (0)
Writing First principles. (1904) (0)
Recapitulation, Criticism, and Recommencement. (0)
Plans for executing it. (1904) (0)
Views concerning copyright. (1907) (0)
HERBERT SPENCER: PSYCHOLOGY (0)
The associability of feelings. (1870) (0)
The Right to Physical Integrity. (0)
Aiding the sick and the injured. (1897) (0)
A visit to America. (1904) (0)
Sub-Human Justice. (0)
Religion and Science. (0)
The Correspondence as Direct but Heterogeneous. (0)
Return to Derby. (1904) (0)
Absolute and relative ethics. (0)
The duties of the state. (1897) (0)
Government Colonization. (0)
The relations of connature and non-connature. (1855) (0)
The rights of gift and bequest. (1897) (0)
The ultimate sanctions. (1897) (0)
The sustaining system. (1879) (0)
Imperfect qualitative reasoning. (1855) (0)
The Rights of Free Belief and Worship. (0)
The rights of free speech and publication. (1897) (0)
Perfect Qualitative Reasoning. (0)
The Integration of Correspondences. (0)
ULTIMATE RELIGIOUS IDEAS (0)
The bookselling-question. (1907) (0)
The corruption of music. (1902) (0)
The final question. (1872) (0)
Ability versus information. (1907) (0)
Happiness as an immediate aim. (0)
The Growth of Intelligence. (0)
First principles (Amer. ed.). (0)
The confusion of ethical thought. (1897) (0)
Various fragments (enl. ed.). (1907) (0)
CORNS ON BABIES' NOSES. (0)
Sanitary Supervision. (0)
I.—OUR SPACE-CONSCIOUSNESS: A REPLY (1890) (0)
The ideas of death and resurrection. (1879) (0)
A state-burden on authors. (1907) (0)
Life at Worcester. (0)
Reflections written four years later. (1904) (0)
Partial differentiation of subject and object. (1872) (0)
Conduct in General. (0)
The conditions essential to nervous action. (1870) (0)
The Relations of Cointension and Non-Cointension. (0)
The Rights of Children. (0)
The correspondence as direct and homogeneous. (1855) (0)
Greeks : Hellenic era (1910) (0)
Recapitulation, criticism, and recommencement. (1880) (0)
The Persistence of Relations Among Forces. (0)
Youth at Hinton. (1904) (0)
Ultimate Religious Ideas. (0)
Co-ordination of syntheses. (0)
An interval in town. (0)
The Direction of Motion. (0)
A grievous mistake. (1904) (0)
Consultative Bodies. (0)
The Rhythm of Motion. (0)
The Physiology of Laughter. (0)
Propositions qualitatively distinguished. (1872) (0)
The correspondence as increasing in generality. (0)
Recasting First principles. (1904) (0)
The Correspondence as Extending in Space. (0)
The Idea of Justice. (1897) (0)
Political rights--So-called. (1897) (0)
The Right of Property in Ideas. (0)
The regulating system. (1879) (0)
Its Cobollabies. (0)
The limit of state-duty. (1892) (0)
The Limits of State-Duties Concluded. (0)
The Rights of Women. (0)
The Correspondence Between Life and Its Circumstances. (0)
Mill versus Hamilton—The Test of Truth. (0)
The right of free industry. (1897) (0)
The Evolution of Conduct. (0)
The sentiment of justice. (1897) (0)
The law of evolution continued [2]. (1880) (0)
The right of incorporeal property. (1897) (0)
A further interpretation needed. (1870) (0)
The Law of Evolution Continued. (0)
The ideas of sleep and dreams. (1879) (0)
Human Justice. (0)
The Correspondence as Increasing in Complexity. (0)
Results. (0)
Nervous stimulation and nervous discharge. (0)
The Factors of Organic Evolution. (0)
The Interpretation of Evolution. (0)
Quantitative reasoning in general. (1855) (0)
Derivation of a First Principle. (0)
Method. (0)
Facts and Comments. (1903) (0)
Political Rights—So-Called. (0)
The right of property in ideas. (1892) (0)
The reasonings of metaphysicians. (1872) (0)
The Sources of Architectural Types. (0)
The ideas of the animate and the inanimate. (1879) (0)
The Relations of Likeness and Unlikeness. (0)
Estimates of men. (1902) (0)
Perfect qualitative reasoning. (1855) (0)
A retrospect with an addition. (0)
An autobiography : illustrated (1904) (0)
The distributing system. (1879) (0)
The Nature of Intelligence. (0)
Progress: Its Law and Cause. (0)
The evanescence [?diminution] of evil. (1892) (0)
The relations of coextension and non-coextension. (0)
The transformation and equivalence of forces. (0)
Altruism Versus Egoism. (0)
Co-ordination of special analyses. (0)
The Multiplication of Effects. (0)
Part VII. General analysis. (0)
The rights to the uses of natural media. (1897) (0)
The argument from priority. (1872) (0)
The co-ordination of correspondence. (0)
Systems of organs. (1879) (0)
The Transformation and Equivalence of Forces. (0)
Classification, Naming, and Recognition. (1855) (0)
An extra book. (1904) (0)
Instinct. (0)
The Perception of Motion. (0)
A datum wanted. (0)
CRITICISMS AND EXPLANATIONS (0)
The interpretation of evolution. (0)
The Relativity of all Knowledge. (0)
The Nebular Hypothesis. (0)
Compound quantitative reasoning. (1855) (0)
Some musical heresies. (1902) (0)
The Duties of the State. (0)
Recent developments in evolutionary theory — especially by biologist (0)
Application of this First Principle. (0)
The Law of Intelligence. (0)
Developing the Psychology. (1904) (0)
Ending of the Descriptive sociology. (1904) (0)
Memory. (0)
Exaggerations and mis-statements. (1902) (0)
Some minor incidents. (1904) (0)
Idol-worship and fetich-worship. (1879) (0)
THE RHYTHM OF MOTION (1880) (0)
Prison-Ethics. (0)
The rights of free belief and worship. (1897) (0)
Absolute and Relative Ethics. (0)
Animal-Ethics. (0)
Writing for quarterly reviews. (1904) (0)
Select works of Herbert Spencer (1886) (0)
Derivation of a first principle. (1892) (0)
Part IX. Corollaries. (1910) (0)
Herbert Spencer on the Laws of Organic Form (1859) (0)
The Correspondence as Extending in Time. (0)
Ultimate Scientific Ideas. (0)
The Co-Ordination of Correspondences. (0)
Its Corollaries. (0)
The Indestructibility of Matter. (0)
Conciliation. (0)
Reason. (0)
Political Differentiation. (0)
The relations of similarity and dissimilarity. (1855) (0)
The ideas of supernatural agents. (1879) (0)
Summary of inductions. (1897) (0)
The scope of sociology. (1879) (0)
Compound Quantitative Reasoning (Continued). (0)
A few Americanisms. (1902) (0)
Feeling versus intellect. (1902) (0)
The metric system again. (0)
Succour to the ill-used and the endangered. (1897) (0)
Qualifications and summary. (1879) (0)
Original internal factors. (1879) (0)
Restraints of undeserved payments. (1897) (0)
An imprudence and its consequences. (1904) (0)
Part III.—General synthesis. (1896) (0)
The law of evolution continued [1]. (1880) (0)
The Biological View. (0)
Secondary Derivation of a First Principle. (0)
Poor-Laws. (0)
The Relations of Coextension and Non-Coextension. (0)
The Limits of State-Duties Continued. (0)
Currency, Postal Arrangements, etc. (0)
Part II.—The inductions of psychology. (1896) (0)
Ministries. (0)
The degree of life varies as the degree of correspondence. (0)
Eighteen months lost. (0)
Beneficence at large. (1897) (0)
A brief sub-editorship. (1904) (0)
Another volume of the Biology. (0)
The Continuity of Motion. (0)
The argument from distinctness. (1872) (0)
Ways of Judging Conduct. (0)
An element in method. (0)
A rejoinder to Mr. McLennan. (1907) (0)
The primitive theory of things. (1879) (0)
The argument from simplicity. (1872) (0)
Negative Beneficence and Positive Beneficence. (1893) (0)
The correspondences in their totality. (1855) (0)
The associability of relations between feelings. (1870) (0)
The Law of Evolution. (0)
The genesis of doubly-compound nervous systems. (0)
Functions as related to these structures. (1870) (0)
Part VIII. Congruities. (1910) (0)
Pleasures and pains. (0)
Part VI. Special analysis. (1910) (0)
The genesis of compound nervous systems. (1870) (0)
Dissolution (1881) (0)
Imperfect and Simple Quantitative Reasoning. (0)
Political Fetichism. (0)
The Limits of State-Duties Continued. (0)
Some light on use-inheritance. (1902) (0)
The Right of Property. (0)
A campaign in London. (0)
Criticisms and Explanations. (0)
The Correspondence as Increasing in Speciality. (0)
The Correspondence as Increasing in Generality. (0)
The words of metaphysicians. (1872) (0)
The Constitution of the State. (0)
The Law of Evolution Continued. (0)
A volume of the Biology. (0)
Two months' holiday. (0)
The Reconciliation. (0)
Mr. Herbert Spencer on the land question : a collection of current misconceptions of his views (1895) (0)
A Letter From Mr. Herbert Spencer. (1893) (0)
The limits of state-duties. (1897) (0)
Restraints on praise. (1897) (0)
A criterion wanted. (1872) (0)
Discussion on the subject. (1908) (0)
The revivability of relations between feelings. (0)
General Considerations. (0)
The correspondence as increasing in complexity. (1855) (0)
National Education. (0)
Restraints on free competition. (1897) (0)
Life and mind as correspondence. (0)
The Origin and Function of Music. (0)
Compound Quantitative Reasoning. (0)
The Right of Incorporeal Property. (0)
Social types and constitutions. (1879) (0)
Quantitative Reasoning in General. (0)
The Relations of Coexistence and Non-Coexistence. (0)
The Relativity of Pains and Pleasures. (0)
A more active year. (0)
Presence of mind. (1902) (0)
Evidence from abnormal variations. (0)
Anglo-American arbitration. (1900) (0)
The land question. (1907) (0)
Simple and compound evolution. (0)
What should the sceptic say to believers (1902) (0)
The Duty of the State. (0)
The Will. (0)
Currency, postal arrangements, etc. (1892) (0)
The rights to free motion and locomotion. (1897) (0)
Social evolution and social duty. (0)
Philosophy and Pseudo-Philosophy (1865) (0)
Positive justification of realism. (1872) (0)
The correspondence between life and its circumstances. (1855) (0)
The status of women. (1879) (0)
At home again. (1904) (0)
The authority of this formula. (1897) (0)
The substance of mind. (1870) (0)
Sanitation in theory and practice. (1902) (0)
Secondary derivation of a first principle. (1892) (0)
Proximate definition of life. (1855) (0)
Ancestor-worship in general. (1879) (0)
THE RELATIVITY OF PAINS AND PLEASURES (1879) (0)
Up the Nile. (0)
The assumption of metaphysicians. (1872) (0)
The regressive multiplication of causes. (1902) (0)
First Principles (0)
Part IV.—Special synthesis. (0)
Come kiss the blarney Mary darling (0)
Reasoning in General. (0)
TRIAL AND COMPROMISE (1879) (0)
The Perception of Special Objects. (0)
Perception in General. (0)
The Authority of this Formula. (0)
Discipline. (0)
Objective Difficulties. (0)
I Met My Love 'Mid The Roses (1910) (0)
The Rights to the Uses of Natural Media. (0)
Government by minority. (1907) (0)
The diverse interests of the species, of the parents and of the offspring. (1879) (0)
The Universal Postulate. (0)
The Comparative Psychology of Man. (0)
A Retrospect with an addition. (0)
Bain on the Emotions and the Will. (0)
A false start. (1904) (0)
Super-organic evolution. (1879) (0)
Hebrews and Phœnicians (1880) (0)
Political Institutions (0)
The wreck of the Julie Plante (1907) (0)
The rights of free exchange and free contract. (1897) (0)
The Relation of Sequence. (0)
Language of the emotions. (0)
Essays: Scientific, Political and Speculative (0)
A retrospective glance. (1904) (0)
The Rights to Free Motion and Locomotion. (0)
A Datum Wanted. (0)
The perception of special objects. (1855) (0)
Recent Discussions In Science, Philosophy, And Morals (1871) (0)
The Classification of the Sciences. (0)
A record of legislation. (1907) (0)
Limitation of the subject. (1872) (0)
Vol. I. of the Sociology. (1904) (0)
My first book. (1904) (0)
Imperfect and simple quantitative reasoning. (1855) (0)
The Nature of the State. (0)
Over-legislation : an essay (0)
Publishing on commission. (1907) (0)
The relations of coexistence and non-coexistence. (1855) (0)
A plan fixed upon. (1904) (0)
The regulation of commerce. (1892) (0)
Parliamentary Reform: the Dangers and the Safeguards. (0)
The relations of cointension and non-cointension. (1855) (0)
Original external factors. (1879) (0)
The Rights of Gift and Bequest. (0)
The perception of space. (0)
The perception of motion. (0)
The genesis of simple nervous systems. (1870) (0)
Railway Morals and Railway Policy. (0)
Evidence from normal variations. (0)
Egoism Versus Altruism. (0)
Conclusion (0)
The moral-sense doctrine. (1892) (0)
The Relations of Similarity and Dissimilarity. (0)
What is morality (1892) (0)
The Sentiment of Justice. (0)
The perception of time. (1855) (0)
The ideas of another life. (1879) (0)
Negative justification of realism. (1872) (0)
Greatest happiness must be sought indirectly. (1892) (0)
Representative government : an essay (1878) (0)
Compound quantitative reasoning, continued. (1855) (0)
The Limit of State-Duty. (0)
The nature of the State. (1897) (0)
The law of intelligence. (0)
The "net-price" system of bookselling. (1907) (0)
The pursuit of prettiness. (1902) (0)
Use and Beauty. (0)
Segregation. (0)
Religious Establishments. (0)
The Perception of Resistance. (0)
The correspondence as direct but heterogeneous. (1855) (0)
The Relations of Connature and Non-Connature. (0)
Aphorisms From the Writings of Herbert Spencer, Selected and Arranged by J.R. Gingell (1894) (0)
Introduction. (0)
First Principle. (0)
The Law of Evolution Concluded. (0)
The relations of likeness and unlikeness. (0)
Application of this first principle. (1892) (0)
Sociality and sympathy. (1872) (0)
Psychical laws as thus interpreted. (0)
Developed conception of the object. (1872) (0)
The revivability of feelings. (1870) (0)
MERCURIO'S OR WALCHER'S POSITION. (0)
The perception of resistance. (1855) (0)
Political Integration. (0)
The limits of state-duties--Continued. (1897) (0)
The Perception of Body as Presenting Statical Attributes. (0)
The duty of the state. (1892) (0)
Leave The Economist. (1904) (0)
The Regulation of Commerce. (0)
Imperfect Qualitative Reasoning. (0)
The law of evolution concluded. (1880) (0)
Essays: Scientific, Political and Speculative (0)
The Perception of Space. (0)
Essays: Moral, political and aesthetic (new and enlarged ed.). (1878) (0)
The Physical View. (0)
The relativity of feelings. (1870) (0)
Good and Bad Conduct. (0)
Co-ordination of general analyses. (1897) (0)
The co-ordination of correspondences. (1855) (0)
Equilibration. (0)
A visit and its consequences. (0)
Further Rights. (0)
An autumn's relaxations. (0)
The sources of architectural types. (1875) (0)
The composition of mind. (1870) (0)
The Correspondences in their Totality. (0)
Another parliamentary survey. (1904) (0)
The Rights of Free Exchange and Free Contract. (0)
The Genesis of Science. (0)
Against the metric system : with appendices (1896) (0)
Part I.—The data of psychology. (0)
The growth of intelligence. (1855) (0)
Some significant essays. (1904) (0)
The Sociological View. (0)
Summary and Conclusion. (0)
The Right of free speech and publication. (0)
The right to physical integrity. (1897) (0)
Trial and Compromise. (0)
Ego-altruistic sentiments. (0)
The Development Hypothesis. (0)
Proximate Definition of Life. (0)
Memories: A Ballad (1903) (0)
Domestic retrospect and prospect. (1879) (0)
The Data of Philosophy. (0)
The Morals of Trade. (0)
The genesis of nerves. (0)
The rights of women. (1892) (0)
Political Rights. (0)
Our Present Position. (0)
The Psychological View. (0)
The nature of intelligence. (1855) (0)
Completed differentiation of subject and object. (1872) (0)
The Scope of Ethics. (0)
Co-ordination of data and inductions. (1897) (0)
Restraints on blame. (0)
Some months at Powick. (0)
The test of relative validity. (1872) (0)
The relation of sequence. (1855) (0)
Prof. Tait on the formula of evolution. (1907) (0)
The Limits of State-Duties. (0)
The limits of state-duties--Concluded. (1897) (0)
A journey and a flight. (1904) (0)
Restraints on free contract. (1897) (0)
The Philosophy of Style. (0)
The relativity of relations between feelings. (1870) (0)
The ideas of souls, ghosts, spirits, demons. (1879) (0)
Space, Time, Matter, Motion, and Force. (0)
Kinds of altruism. (0)
Simple and Compound Evolution. (0)
The Social Organism. (0)
The Americans: (0)
Primitive relations of the sexes. (1879) (0)
The primitive man—Emotional. (1879) (0)
Finishing the Psychology. (1904) (0)
Professor Cairnes's criticisms. (1907) (0)
EGOISM VERSUS ALTRUISM (0)
The primitive man—Physical. (1879) (0)
The correspondence as increasing in speciality. (0)
My second book. (1904) (0)

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What Are Herbert Spencer's Academic Contributions?

Herbert Spencer is most known for their academic work in the field of sociology. They are also known for their academic work in the fields of anthropology, communications, philosophy, biology, psychology, economics, and literature.

Herbert Spencer has made the following academic contributions:

Herbert Spencer

Why Is Herbert Spencer Influential?

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What Are Herbert Spencer's Academic Contributions?

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Herbert Spencer

Why Is Herbert Spencer Influential?

Herbert Spencer's Published Works

Published Papers

Other Resources About Herbert Spencer

What Are Herbert Spencer's Academic Contributions?

Herbert Spencer's Academic­Influence.com Rankings

Image Attributions

Herbert Spencer's AcademicInfluence.com Rankings