socl /anth 302: social theory - winthropfaculty.winthrop.edu/solomonj/spring 2012/socl 302/pp 2...

Thursday, January 26, 2012

©1999-2006 by Ronald Keith Bolender 1

SOCL /ANTH 302:Social Theory

Herbert Spencer



Herbert Spencer

1820 - 1903



Herbert SpencerBorn April 27, 1820 in Derby, England

Oldest of 9 children, only one to survive infancy

Family influence NonconformistIndividualistAnti-establishment



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



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



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



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



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.



Herbert Spencer

“The Developmental Hypothesis”

1852, seven years prior to Darwin’s Origin of Species

Advocated a theory of evolution



Herbert SpencerSpencer coined the phrase “survival of the fittest”

Almost a decade before Darwin published “On the Origin of Species”



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



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



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



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



Herbert Spencer

Sociology as the study of “superorganic“organisms

That is, study relations among living organisms

Included more than human organisms



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.



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.



http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/B_GENUS.HTM

http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/H_STRATUM.HTM

Nostoceae

Hormogonia are motile filaments of cells formed by some cyanobacteria in the family Nostoceae.

They are formed during asexual reproduction.



http://www.answers.com/topic/cyanobacteria

Acalephae

A group ofcœlenterata, includingthe Medusæ orjellyfishes, andhydroids; - so calledfrom the stingingpower they possess.

Sometimes called seanettles.



http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/A

http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/group

http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/of

http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/including

http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/the

http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/the

http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/called

http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/sea

http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/nettles

Protozoa

Protozoa are single-celled eukaryotes (organisms whose cells have nuclei) that commonly show characteristics usually associated with animals, most notably mobility and heterotrophy.



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


http://www.factbites.com/topics/Animal

http://www.factbites.com/topics/Phylum

http://www.factbites.com/topics/Protozoa

http://www.factbites.com/topics/Alga

http://www.factbites.com/topics/Bacteria

http://www.factbites.com/topics/Plant

http://www.factbites.com/topics/Division-%28biology%29



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



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



Herbert Spencer

Evolution--Unilinear

orMultilinear?



Herbert Spencer

At first supported a unilinear model of evolution—straightforward & progressive

Later suggested that “regression” was possible



Herbert Spencer

Survival of the Fittest

War and complex societies

Intervention results in lesser societies



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



Herbert Spencer

For a time, members of society are willing to allow “major” changes to be made “overnight”

Example: Post 9/11



Herbert Spencer

(Turner, Beeghley, and Powers 1998:64-68)



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



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



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



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



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



Herbert Spencer:Nonintervention

Noninterventionand the





Concept of survival of the fittest from the works of Thomas Robert Malthus.

The role of “intervention”

“Pure evolution and nonintervention”




Classical MalthusianismThomas Robert Malthus

English economist

Essay on the Principle of PopulationFirst published in 1798 AD



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”



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



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




Spencer’s own theory of population was slightly more optimistic than

Malthus.




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




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


A good society, in Spencer's view, is based on contracts between individuals pursuing their respective interests.




The general level of intelligence will rise to the extent that only those with superior intelligence survive in the battle for existence.



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



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldier

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_history

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalism_%28philosophy%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamarckism


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



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,



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).



socl /anth 302: social theory - winthropfaculty.winthrop.edu/solomonj/spring 2012/socl 302/pp 2...

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