J. Arthur Thomson

Herbert Spencer by J. Arthur Thomson is a biographical work exploring the life and intellectual development of Herbert Spencer, a key figure in the development of evolutionary theory and sociology. The book examines Spencer's early life, particularly the influence of his family on his intellectual growth, and his aversion to conventional education. Raised in a nonconformist environment, Spencer was encouraged to explore the natural sciences, which later formed the basis of his philosophical and scientific contributions. The narrative explores how his upbringing and personal experiences shaped his thoughts on heredity, nurture, and the evolution of life. As he navigated a life of both personal challenges and intellectual exploration, Spencer's ideas evolved, focusing on the unity of science and the development of life. The biography sheds light on his early struggles and his eventual contributions to philosophy, highlighting how his upbringing and natural inclinations influenced his groundbreaking work. The work sets the stage for understanding Spencer s broader philosophical influence, particularly in the areas of sociology and evolutionary theory.

This book has been considered by academicians and scholars of great significance and value to literature. This forms a part of the knowledge base for future generations. So that the book is never forgotten we have represented this book in a print format as the same form as it was originally first published. Hence any marks or annotations seen are left intentionally to preserve its true nature.

This book has been considered by academicians and scholars of great significance and value to literature. This forms a part of the knowledge base for future generations. So that the book is never forgotten we have represented this book in a print format as the same form as it was originally first published. Hence any marks or annotations seen are left intentionally to preserve its true nature.

The aim of this book is to give a general idea of the way in which Modern Science looks out on the world. By selecting a few salient illustrations, it seeks to show how the various sciences are disclosing the Order of Nature. It is hoped that it may be of service to the able minded reader who wishes an introduction of an informal type to the chief scientific problems of today. The book is meant to be suggestive as well as informative; and two characteristic features may be noted, for they are deliberate: the illustrations of scientific progress that have been selected are taken from all the great orders of facts – from astronomy to anthropology; and they deal not with easy things, but with the big problems that matter most.

This volume attempts to give a short account of Herbert Spencer's life, an appreciation of his characteristics, and a statement of some of the services he rendered to science. Prominence has been given to his Autobiography, to his Principles of Biology, and to his position as a cosmic evolutionist; but little has been said of his psychology and sociology, which require another volume, or of his ethics and politics, or of his agnosticism-the whetstone of so many critics. Our appreciation of Spencer's services is therefore partial, but it may not for that reason fail in its chief aim, that of illustrating the working of one of the most scientific minds that ever lived, -whose excess of science was almost unscientific.-

The aim of this book is to give a general idea of the way in which Modern Science looks out on the world. By selecting a few salient illustrations, it seeks to show how the various sciences are disclosing the Order of Nature. It is hoped that it may be of service to the able minded reader who wishes an introduction of an informal type to the chief scientific problems of today. The book is meant to be suggestive as well as informative; and two characteristic features may be noted, for they are deliberate: the illustrations of scientific progress that have been selected are taken from all the great orders of facts – from astronomy to anthropology; and they deal not with easy things, but with the big problems that matter most.

This volume attempts to give a short account of Herbert Spencer's life, an appreciation of his characteristics, and a statement of some of the services he rendered to science. Prominence has been given to his Autobiography, to his Principles of Biology, and to his position as a cosmic evolutionist; but little has been said of his psychology and sociology, which require another volume, or of his ethics and politics, or of his agnosticism-the whetstone of so many critics. Our appreciation of Spencer's services is therefore partial, but it may not for that reason fail in its chief aim, that of illustrating the working of one of the most scientific minds that ever lived, "whose excess of science was almost unscientific." The story of Spencer's life is neither eventful nor picturesque, but it commands the interest of all who admire faith, courage, and loyalty to an ideal. It is a story of plain living and high thinking, of one who, though vexed by an extremely nervous temperament, was as resolute as a Hebrew prophet in delivering his message. It is the story of a quiet servant of science, indifferent to conventional honours, careless about "getting on," disliking controversy, sensationalism, and noise, trusting to the power of truth alone, that it must prevail. Another aspect of interest is that Spencer was an arch-heretic, one of the flowers of Nonconformity, against theology and against metaphysics, against monarchy and against molly-coddling legislation, against classical education and against socialism, against war and against Weismann. So that we can hardly picture the man who has not some crow to pick with Spencer.