Spencer was born in England, and was the only child of nine to survive. This could have contributed his philosophical tendencies. The fact that his father, and the rest of his family were nonconformist Dissenters, and were individualistic in their mannerisms.

Spencer was a sickly child, and could not attend school, so his father educated him at home, until the age of 13 when he moved in with his uncle to receive additional education, which was primarily a scientific education. Although he studied science, his primary employment was that of a writer. From 1848 to 1853 Spencer worked as a subeditor for the Economist through which he came know a number of political controversialists. George Eliot stated of Spencer: "the life of this philosopher, like that of the great Kant, offers little material for the narrator." A very stubborn and confident man, Spencer refused to read authors with whom he did not agree.

He believed that the state should focus on the protection of the welfare of the individual, and feared that an overly powerful state would hinder the development of the individual. Spencer believed that (unlike Sturm), no provisions should be make for social welfare or education, and that only those who deserved those benefits through hard work, self-determination, or natural “social position” should be entitled to get them through their situations.

Spencer believed that society existed entirely for the benefit of its members, and not the other way around. Based on the Darwinian concepts of evolution, Spencer believed that civilization was the process by which man adjusted to an increasingly complex social environment. Based on a “survival of the fittest” mentality, Spencer thought the poor and needy was the “unfit” strata of evolution. In addition, any efforts made to help them through social legislation, charity, and social programs might enable them to pass on their “weakness” on to the rest of society. Consequently it was in society’s best interest if these people died.

Publications

A System of Synthetic Philosophy, First Principles (1862)