Herbert Spencer

This volume contains the four essays that Spencer published as The Man Versus the State in 1884 as well as five essays added by later publishers. In addition, it provides "The Proper Sphere of Government", an important early essay by Spencer. Spencer develops various specific disastrous ramifications of the wholesale substitution of the principle of compulsory co-operation -- the statist principle -- for the individualist principle of voluntary co-operation. His theme is that "there is in society... that beautiful self-adjusting principle which will keep all its elements in equilibrium... The attempt to regulate all the actions of a community by legislation will entail little else but misery and compulsion".

LARGE PRINT EDITION More at LargePrintLiberty.com Henry Hazlitt says that this book is "One of the most powerful and influential arguments for limited government, laissez faire and individualism ever written."Spencer played a huge role in the history of ideas, one that contemporary sociologists have sadly neglected other than to dismiss him as "social Darwinist." In fact, his great contribution was precisely to untangle the study of society from all claims that it operated as a life form apart from the choices made by individuals.He was a laissez-faire radical in times when academia was becoming ever more illiberal. He was an opponent of militarism, economic regulation, infringement on personal liberty, and government centralization.