Essays: Scientific, Political, & Speculative; Vol. 1 of 3 : Library Edition (1891), Containing Seven Essays not before Republished, and Various other Additions.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Spencer, Herbert, 1820-1903

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Other Title:

Essays: Scientific, Political, and Speculative; Vol. 1 of 3

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Essays: Scientific, Political, & Speculative; Vol. 1 of 3" by Herbert Spencer is a collection of essays that delve into scientific, philosophical, and political themes, written in the late 19th century. The compilation encompasses essays that explore the principles of evolution, the nature of progress, and the implications of scientific theories on moral and ethical considerations. Spencer's work engages with topics surrounding organic evolution and the development of societies, reflecting on the interconnectedness of various domains of knowledge. The opening of the volume provides context for the essays included, detailing Spencer's intent to synthesize his previous works along with new essays that address current topics of interest in the realm of evolution and society. The first essay discusses the development hypothesis, arguing against the notion of special creation and positing that species evolve through a process of modification. He critiques opposing views, emphasizing the rationality and scientific basis of evolutionary theory while outlining a defense for the principles of change and progress that govern both natural and social phenomena. This sets a tone for the subsequent essays in the collection, where Spencer continues to unpack the implications of evolution across various aspects of human understanding and experience. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

The development hypothesis

Progress: its law and cause

Transcendental physiology

The nebular hypothesis

Illogical geology

Bain on the emotions and the will

The social organism

The origin of animal worship

Morals and moral sentiments

The comparative psychology of man

Mr. Martineau on evolution

The factors of organic evolution.

Credits:

Produced by Adrian Mastronardi, Carla Foust, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 41.1 (College-level). Difficult to read.

Release date is 2009-08-31