Upload
pam-green
View
3.800
Download
5
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Citation preview
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
1
SOC4044 Sociological Theory:
Herbert Spencer
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
2
Herbert SpencerReferences
Coser, Lewis A. 1977. Masters of Sociological Thought: Ideas in Historical and Social Context. 2d ed. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers.
Keb, Julia Ann. 1999. “Herbert Spencer: Social Darwinism in Education.” Retrieved October 6, 1999 (http://www.nd.edu/~rbarger/www7/spencer.html).
Mooney, Linda A., David Knox, and Caroline Schacht. 1997. Understanding Social Problems. New York: West Publishing Company.
Peel, J. D. Y. 1974. “Spencer and the Neo-evolutionists.“ Pp. 188-209 in Theories and Paradigms in Contemporary Sociology. Edited by R. Serge Denisfoff, Orel Callahan, and Mark H. Levine. Itasca, IL: F. E. Peacock Publishers, Incorporated.
Perdue, William D. 1986. Sociological Theory: Explanation, Paradigm, and Ideology. Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Spencer, Herbert. [1850] 1888. Social Statics: or, the Condition Essential to Human Happiness Specified and the First of Them Developed. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
Spencer, Herbert. [1873] 1961. The Study of Sociology. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. Spencer, Herbert. 1897. The Principles of Sociology, Part VIII. Toffler, Alvin. 1980. The Third Wave. New York: Bantam Books.Turner, Jonathan H. 1998. The Structure of Sociological Theory. 6th ed. Cincinnati, OH: Wadsworth Publishing Company.Turner, Jonathan H., Leonard Beeghley, and Charles H. Powers. 1998. The Emergence of Sociology Theory. 4th ed.
Cincinnati, OH: Wadsworth Publishing Company. Wang, Bee Lan C. 1985. “Population and Hunger.” Pp. 284-295 in Social Problems: Christian Perspectives. Edited by
Charles P. DeSanto and Margaret M. Poloma. Winston-Salem, NC: Hunter Textbooks, Incorporated.
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
3
Herbert Spencer
1820 - 1903
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
4
Herbert SpencerBorn April 27, 1820 in Derby, England
Located in the heart of British industryOldest of nine children, the only to surviveReligious/political/philosophical
background Nonconformist Dissenters
Partial Quaker in thinkingSupported laissez-faire economics
(Coser 1977:102-103; Perdue 1986:56)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
5
Herbert Spencer
Taught at home by his father and later his uncle
Education--heavy in science--very light in Latin, Greek, English, and History
By age 16 he had a good background in mathematics and the natural sciences
Never would become a generally educated individual
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
6
Herbert Spencer
In 1837 (at the age of 17) he became an engineer at London and Birmingham Railroad
Later he worked as a draftsman for the Birmingham Railway Discharged in 1841---he returned home
to Derby
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
7
Herbert Spencer
Next few years published several articles in the radical press “The Proper Sphere of Government”
Argued for an extreme restriction of the scope of government
• The whole field of human activity (except for policing) should be left to private enterprise
• There are no poor laws, no national education, no established church, no restrictions on commerce, and no factory legislation
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
8
Herbert Spencer In 1850, he finished his first book, Social Statics
Based on the theme in “The Proper Sphere of Government”
• Creed of laissez faire
His work was in disagreement with Comte in the area of “intervention.” Comte visualized that a “social priest” (with governmental powers) would fine tune society so that society would run as smoothly as possible.
• Similar to the role of the chairperson of the Federal Reserve (in the United States) in fine tuning the economy via changing interest rates.
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
9
Herbert Spencer
The basic argument of Social Statics can be stated as follows:
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.
(Turner, Beeghley, and Powers 1998:45-46)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
10
Herbert SpencerEach member of the race. . .must not only be
endowed with faculties enabling him to receive the highest enjoyment in the act of living, but must be so constituted that he
may obtain full satisfaction for every desire, without diminishing the power of others to obtain like satisfaction: nay, to fulfill the purpose perfectly, must derive pleasure
from seeing pleasure in others.(Spencer [1850] 1888:448)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
11
Herbert Spencer
“The Developmental Hypothesis” 1852, seven years prior to Darwin’s
Origin of Species Expounded and advocated a theory of
evolution
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
12
Herbert Spencer
In 1853 he received a sizable inheritance from his uncle’s estate
From then on he lived the life of a private scholar
A lifelong bachelor living frugally in various lodgings and rooming houses in London
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
13
Herbert Spencer
Around 1854, Spencer 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 He eventually retreated from society,
became a semi-hermit
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
14
Herbert Spencer
Principles of Biology (several volumes 1864-1867) Textbook used at Oxford
The Study of Sociology (1873) Textbook used at Yale University
William Graham Sumner taught Spencerism at Yale
Principles of Psychology (two volumes 1870-1872) Textbook used at Harvard University
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
15
Herbert SpencerThroughout his life Spencer refused nearly
all honors offered him by universities, the government, or scientific bodies. He had no official position and no university
degree. Yet during the last quarter of the century he enjoyed an international
reputation and influence almost comparable to that of Charles Darwin.
(Coser 1977:107)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
16
Herbert Spencer
Paradigm: OrderClass of Theories: Organicism
Societal EvolutionSocial Darwinism (Turner 1998:80)
“Society is akin to a special organism obeying its own laws of ‘progress.’”
Platonic ThemeThe natural order of all societies is one of
hierarchy.(Perdue 1986:47)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
17
Herbert Spencer
Almost a decade before Darwin published On the Origin of
Species, Spencer coined the phrase “survival of the fittest.”
Spencer’s Social Statics [1850]Spencer had used the phrase
earlier when writing articles for newspapers.
(Turner 1998:80, 85)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
18
Herbert Spencer
“. . .Spencer had made the connection between biology and sociology.”
(Turner 1998:80)
This is a profound statement. A large segment of sociological thought is
closely aligned with biology--especially in ecological themes.
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
19
Herbert Spencer
Comte had allied sociology with biology, arguing that in the hierarchy of the sciences, sociology would emerge from biology and become the “queen science.”
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
20
Herbert SpencerBut Spencer did more than make
superficial analogies between biological and social bodies, he proclaimed that sociology was to be the study of superorganicsuperorganic organisms--that is, relations among living organisms--and he included more than human organisms in this definitions.
(Turner 1998:80)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
21
Herbert SpencerSurvival Similarities in Social and
Biological SystemsProduction of life-sustaining substancesReproduction of system partsRegulation and control of actions by
system partsDistribution of information and
materials among system units(Turner 1998:80)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
22
Herbert Spencer
The sociological concept of progress was elevated by Spencer. The evolution of society involves increasing complexity
of social structure and associate culture symbols, and this complexity increases the capacity of the human species to adapt and survive in its environment.
(Turner 1998:81)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
23
Herbert Spencer
Evolution, that is, “a change from a state of relatively indefinite, incoherent,
homogeneity to at state of relatively definite, coherent, heterogeneity,” was
to Spencer that universal process, which explains “. . .those latest
changes which we trace in society and the products of social life.”
(Coser 1977:89)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
24
Herbert SpencerSpencer argued, that the evolution of
human societies, far from being different from other evolutionary phenomena, is
but a special case of a universally applicable natural law. Sociology can
become a science only when it is based on the idea of belief in a social order not
conforming to natural law, survives.”(Coser 1977:90)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
25
Herbert Spencer
Spencer’s most fruitful use of organic analogies was his notion
that with evolutionary growth come changes in any units
structure and functions, that increases in size bring in their
wake increases in differentiation. (Coser 1977:90)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
26
Herbert Spencer
Evolution--Unilinear
orMultilinear?
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
27
Herbert Spencer
The earlier Spencer indicated a unilinear model of evolution--a straightforward progressive march.
The mature Spencer indicated that “regression” was possible (influenced by what he saw in England toward the end of the 19th century).
(Coser 1977:96-97)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
28
Herbert Spencer
Social progress is not linear but divergent and re-divergent. . . (Spencer
1897:725)
It was always Spencer’s view that the true symbol of development was not
a chain, but a tree. (Peel 1974:198)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
29
Herbert Spencer
Wave Theory
Illustrated by Toffler in The Third Wave(Toffler 1980)
Toffler is really a conflict theorist, but one can see traces of “evolutionary” ideas within his work.
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
30
Herbert Spencer
Survival of the FittestWar and complex societiesInterventions into lesser societies
(Turner 1998:81)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
31
Herbert Spencer
Refer toHerbert Spencer
Handout
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
32
Herbert Spencer
(Turner, Beeghley, and Powers 1998:58-61)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
33
Herbert Spencer
War, has an interesting impact upon society. It is one of the few social phenomena that “individualistic” members of a modern society are
willing to “sacrifice” self-centerness for the “good” of society as a whole. After all, war is the ultimate social
problem. (Per Dr. Bolender 1999)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
34
Herbert Spencer
The period of World War II was the closest that the United States was to having a socialist-type government.
Individualism was sacrificed for the “good” of the “community.”
(Per Dr. Bolender 1999)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
35
Herbert Spencer
At least for a period of time, members of society are willing to allow “major”
efficient changes to be made “overnight.” Also, there are
“residual” affects after the war, for example, the GI Bill.
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
36
Herbert Spencer
(Turner, Beeghley, and Powers 1998:62-64)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
37
Herbert Spencer
(Turner, Beeghley, and Powers 1998:64-68)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
38
Herbert Spencer
The Contrast Between Militant and Industrial Societies
(see handout)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
39
Herbert Spencer
Structural-functionalism focuses on the functions war serves and
suggests that war would not exist unless it had positive outcomes positive outcomes for societyfor society. . .War has created a world of larger political units. . . from 600,000 around 1,000 BC to
less than 200 today.(Mooney, Knox, and Schacht 1997:465-466, 469-470)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
40
Herbert Spencer
Through centuries of warfare, the state (as a large political unit) was created. . . This led to greater stability which led to profound positive social
and cultural changes.
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
41
Herbert Spencer
Industrialization and technology could not have developed in the small social groups that existed
before military action consolidated them into larger states. Thus, war
contributed indirectly to the industrialization and technological sophistication that characterized
the modern world.
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
42
Herbert Spencer
As societies become more industrialized, their proneness
to warfare decreases. . .Preindustrial nations
Overall mean of 10.6 wars per decadeIndustrial nations
Overall mean of 2.7 wars per decade
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
43
Herbert Spencer
Positive Benefits of WarCreates solidarity
Gives society a common cause to rally around
Increases employment and stimulates the economy
Inspires scientific and technological developments that are useful to civilians Microwave oven Internet
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
44
Herbert Spencer
Serves to encourage social reform GI Bill VA
Health careHousing
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
45
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
NoninterventionNonintervention and the
Survival of the Fittest
(Coser 1977:99-101)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
46
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
Spencer, the same as Darwin, drew the concept of survival of the fittest from the works of Thomas Robert Malthus. The role of “intervention” is a major/serious philosophical issue in the concept of “pure evolution and nonintervention.”
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
47
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
Classical MalthusianismThomas Robert Malthus
English economistEssay on the Principle of Population
First published in 1798 AD(Wang 1985:285-286)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
48
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
Basic principles of the Malthus’ Theory Food is essential for the existence of man “Passion between the sexes” will continue
to exist and to result in population growth Population grows “geometrically” whereas
at best food increases only “arithmetically”
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
49
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
Positive checks Famines Disease Wars
Given the human propensities to procreate faster than food can be produced, most of mankind is poor most of the time
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
50
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
Preventive checks (moral restraints) Delayed marriages Reduced frequency of sex relations within
marriage No premarital or extramarital sex relations
Malthus did not think that the effect of “moral restraint” would be significant. Further, he did not approve of the practice of contraception.
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
51
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
The classical Malthusian theory of population implies that an increase in the food supply or
income would result in either fewer people dying, or in more marrying earlier and having
more children. In either case both would result in increased population growth, thereby
nullifying the effects of the additional food or income. Thus, Malthus looked with disfavor on
welfare programs in England during his day and, if he were living today, he would probably think it equally unwise to send food to starving
people overseas.
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
52
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
Spencer’s own theory of population was slightly more optimistic than
Malthus. (Coser 1977:100-101)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
53
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
Spencer argued that an excess in fertility stimulates greater activity because the more people there are, the more ingenuity is required to stay alive. The least intelligent groups and individuals die off; hence, the general level of intelligence is bound to rise gradually.
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
54
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
Except. . . .The intervention of government in social affairs,
Spencer argued, must distort the necessary adaptation of society to its environment. Once government intervenes, the beneficial process that would naturally lead to man’s more efficient and more intelligent control over nature will be distorted and give rise to a reverse process that can only lead to the progressive deterioration of the human race.
(Based on Social Statics Spencer 1892:151--special edition of Social Statics).
(Coser 1977:100-101)
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
55
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
This is applicable to organization behavior at the micro level.
Saturday, April 8, 2023
©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender
56
Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention
Christian response to the “intervention”
versus“nonintervention”
question/issue.