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Thursday, January 26, 2012
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 1
SOCL /ANTH 302:Social Theory
Herbert Spencer
Thursday, January 26, 2012
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 2
Herbert Spencer
1820 - 1903
Thursday, January 26, 2012
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 3
Herbert SpencerBorn April 27, 1820 in Derby, England
Oldest of 9 children, only one to survive infancy
Family influence NonconformistIndividualistAnti-establishment
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 4
Herbert SpencerTaught at home by father & later his Uncle Thomas
Education--heavy in science--light in Latin, Greek, English, and History
By age 16 had good background in mathematics and the natural sciences
Not generally educated individual
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 5
Herbert Spencer
In 1837 (age 17) became a civil engineer at London and Birmingham Railroad
Later worked as a draftsman for the Birmingham Railway
Discharged in 1841Returned home to Derby
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 6
Herbert Spencer
Published articles in radical press“The Proper Sphere of Government”Supported extreme restriction on the scope of government
Only policingEverything else to be left to private enterprise
Herbert Spencer
No poor laws
No national education
No established church
No restrictions on commerce
No factory legislation
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 7
8
Herbert SpencerIn 1850, first book, Social StaticsBased on laissez faire view of government
Disagreed with Comte on “government intervention” Comte visualized a “social priest” (with governmental powers)
Help society run as smoothly as possibleSimilar to the Federal Reserve (in the United States) in fine tuning the economy via changing interest rates
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 9
Herbert Spencer
The basic argument of Social Statics
Human happiness can be achieved only when individuals can satisfy their needs
and desires without infringing on the rights of others to do the same.
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 10
Herbert Spencer
“The Developmental Hypothesis”
1852, seven years prior to Darwin’s Origin of Species
Advocated a theory of evolution
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 11
Herbert SpencerSpencer coined the phrase “survival of the fittest”
Almost a decade before Darwin published “On the Origin of Species”
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 12
Herbert Spencer
1853 inheritance from uncle’s estate
Supported his life as a private scholar
A lifelong bachelor
Lived frugally in various lodgings and rooming houses in London
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 13
Herbert Spencer
1854, suffered from a “nervous illness” At times unable to concentrate, write, or even to read
Attempted to overcome acute insomnia with heavy doses of opium
Eventually retreated from society, became a semi-hermit
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 14
Herbert SpencerRefused nearly all honors from universities, the government, or scientific bodies No official academic position No university degree
Had an international reputationInfluence almost comparable to that of Charles Darwin
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 15
Herbert Spencer
Organicism and Societal Evolution
Society is similar to an organismobeying its own laws of ‘progress’
The natural order of all societies is hierarchy
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 16
Herbert Spencer
Sociology as the study of “superorganic“organisms
That is, study relations among living organisms
Included more than human organisms
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 17
Herbert SpencerSurvival Similarities in Social & Biological
Systems
1. Production of life-sustaining substances2. Reproduction of system parts3. Regulation & control of actions by
system parts4. Distribution of information & materials
among system units
Zoophyte
Any of various invertebrate animals, such as a sea anemone or sponge, that attach to surfaces and superficially resemble plants.
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 18
Protococcus
Protococcus is a genus of single-celled Algae. The British species Protococcus viridis forms a yellowish-green stratum on trees, damp walls and shallow pools.
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 19
Nostoceae
Hormogonia are motile filaments of cells formed by some cyanobacteria in the family Nostoceae.
They are formed during asexual reproduction.
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 20
Acalephae
A group ofcœlenterata, includingthe Medusæ orjellyfishes, andhydroids; - so calledfrom the stingingpower they possess.
Sometimes called seanettles.
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 21
Protozoa
Protozoa are single-celled eukaryotes (organisms whose cells have nuclei) that commonly show characteristics usually associated with animals, most notably mobility and heterotrophy.
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 22
Protophyta
When single-celled organisms were first discovered, they were split between the two kingdoms: mobile forms in the animal phylum Protozoa,And colored algae and bacteria in the plantdivision Thallophyta or Protophyta.Thursday, January 26, 2012
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 23
Thursday, January 26, 2012
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 24
Herbert SpencerEmphasized concept of progress
Evolution of society involves increasing complexity of social structure & cultural symbolsComplexity increases capacity of humans to adapt and survive in environment
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 25
Herbert SpencerEvolution of human societies, is a special case of a universally applicable natural law
Sociology can only become a sciencebased on the belief that social order conforms to natural law
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 26
Herbert Spencer
Evolution--Unilinear
orMultilinear?
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 27
Herbert Spencer
At first supported a unilinear model of evolution—straightforward & progressive
Later suggested that “regression” was possible
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 28
Herbert Spencer
Survival of the Fittest
War and complex societies
Intervention results in lesser societies
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 29
Herbert Spencer
War--impact upon society
One of few social phenomena where “individualistic” members of a modern society are willing to “sacrifice” self-centerness for the “good” of society as a whole
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 30
Herbert Spencer
For a time, members of society are willing to allow “major” changes to be made “overnight”
Example: Post 9/11
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 31
Herbert Spencer
(Turner, Beeghley, and Powers 1998:64-68)
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 32
1/24 Herbert SpencerStructural-functionalism—War benefits societyWar would not exist unless it had positive outcomes for society. . .
War created a world of larger political units. . . from 600,000 around 1,000 BC to less than 200 today
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 33
Herbert SpencerCenturies of warfare, the state (as a large political unit) was created
Led to greater social stability
Which led to positive social and cultural changes
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 34
Herbert Spencer
Industrialization & technology could not have developed in small social groups before military action consolidated them into larger states.
Thus, war contributed indirectly to industrialization and technological sophistication that characterize modern world
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 35
Herbert Spencer
As societies become more industrialized, their proneness to
warfare decreases. . .
Preindustrial nationsOverall mean of 10.6 wars per decade
Industrial nationsOverall mean of 2.7 wars per decade
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 36
Herbert Spencer
Benefits of WarCreates solidarity
Gives society a common cause to rally around
Increases employment & stimulates economy
Inspires scientific & technological developments useful to civilians
Microwave ovenInternet
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 37
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
Noninterventionand the
Survival of the Fittest
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 38
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
Concept of survival of the fittest from the works of Thomas Robert Malthus.
The role of “intervention”
“Pure evolution and nonintervention”
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 39
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
Classical MalthusianismThomas Robert Malthus
English economist
Essay on the Principle of PopulationFirst published in 1798 AD
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 40
Herbert Spencer: Nonintervention
Basic principles of Malthus’ Theory
Food is essential for existence
“Passion between sexes” will continue to exist & result in population growth
Population grows “geometrically” whereas food increases “arithmetically”
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 41
Herbert Spencer: NoninterventionPositive checks on population growth
FaminesDiseaseWars
Humans procreate faster than food can be produced
Most of mankind is poor most of the time
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 42
Herbert Spencer: Nonintervention
Preventive checks (moral restraints)Delayed marriagesReduced frequency of sex relations in marriageNo premarital or extramarital sex relations
Malthus did not think that the effect of “moral restraint” would be significant
Did not approve of contraception
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 43
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
Spencer’s own theory of population was slightly more optimistic than
Malthus.
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 44
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
Excess fertility stimulates greater social activity
More people, more ingenuity required to stay alive
Least intelligent groups & individuals die off
Hence, general level of intelligence rises gradually
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 45
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
Intervention of government
Distorts necessary adaptation of society to environment
Beneficial processes that naturally lead to more efficient & intelligent control over nature are distorted
Result: Progressive deterioration of the human race
Survival of the Fittest
A good society, in Spencer's view, is based on contracts between individuals pursuing their respective interests.
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 46
Survival of the Fittest
The general level of intelligence will rise to the extent that only those with superior intelligence survive in the battle for existence.
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 47
Lamarkianism
Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de la Marck (1744--1829), often just known as "Lamarck", was a French soldier, naturalist, academic
And an early proponent of the idea that evolution occurred and proceeded in accordance with natural laws
Theory of inheritance of acquired traits, called soft inheritance, Lamarckism,or Lamarkianism
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 48
Survival of the Fittest
Beneficial evolutionary mechanism will be fatally upset once governmental intervention (e.g., poor laws or other measures of social welfare) is allowed to distort the beneficial processes of natural selection
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 49
Spencer’s quote:“That rigorous necessity which, when allowed to operate, becomes so sharp a spur to the lazy and so strong a bridle to the random, these paupers' friends would repeal . . . .
Blind to the fact that under the natural order of things society is constantly excreting its unhealthy, imbecile, slow, vacillating, faithless members,
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 50
Spencer’s quote cont.these unthinking, though well-meaning, men advocate an interference which not only stops the purifying process, but even increases the vitiation--absolutely encourages the multiplication of the reckless and incompetent by offering them an unfailing provision, and discourages the multiplication of the competent and provident by heightening the difficulty of maintaining a family.” ©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith
Bolender 51
Spencer's greatest contribution?
To encourage people to think of society and culture, no less than stones and pinecones, as belonging to the natural world."Civilisation," he declared, "is a part of nature; all of a piece with the development of the embryo or the unfolding of a flower" (Spencer 1969:65).
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©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 52
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