"We do not commonly see in a tax a diminution of freedom, and yet it clearly is one."
Herbert SpencerTiny Panda Quotes
Quotes by Herbert Spencer
Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) was a pioneering English philosopher, biologist, and sociologist, best known for his contributions to the theory of evolution and the concept of "survival of the fittest." A self-taught polymath, Spencer's work spanned numerous disciplines, influencing both social science and natural philosophy. His seminal texts, such as "Principles of Sociology," laid the groundwork for modern sociology and helped shape Victorian thought on progress and individualism. Spencer's legacy endures in contemporary discussions of social theory and evolution, marking him as a significant figure in the intellectual landscape of the 19th century.
19 quotes found
"The wise man must remember that while he is a descendant of the past, he is a parent of the future."
Herbert Spencer"The Republican form of government is the highest form of government: but because of this it requires the highest type of human nature, a type nowhere at present existing."
Herbert Spencer"The preservation of health is a duty. Few seem conscious that there is such a thing as physical morality."
Herbert Spencer
"When a man's knowledge is not in order, the more of it he has the greater will be his confusion."
Herbert Spencer"Marriage: a ceremony in which rings are put on the finger of the lady and through the nose of the gentleman."
Herbert Spencer
"The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools."
Herbert Spencer
"Who indeed, after pulling off the coloured glasses of prejudice and thrusting out of sight his pet projects, can help seeing the folly of these endeavours to protect men against themselves? A sad population of imbeciles would our schemers fill the world with, could their plans last."
Herbert Spencer"Society exists for the benefit of its members, not the members for the benefit of society."
Herbert Spencer
"Those who have never entered upon scientific pursuits know not a tithe of the poetry by which they are surrounded."
Herbert Spencer"In science the important thing is to modify and change one's ideas as science advances."
Herbert Spencer
"The more specific idea of Evolution now reached is - a change from an indefinite, incoherent homogeneity to a definite, coherent heterogeneity, accompanying the dissipation of motion and integration of matter."
Herbert Spencer