Spencer was a polymath who made contributions to philosophy, sociology, and ethics. He was an important figure in the establishment of evolutionary theory and in the development of individualist ethics. Spencer was widely influential in both Europe and North America and was highly regarded by such figures as John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), Charles Darwin (1809-1882) and T. H. Huxley (1825-1895).

Herbert Spencer was born on 27 April 1820 in Derby, an East-Midlands manufacturing town which at the time had a very active intellectual nonconformist community characterized by rational philosophical debate, an interest in experimental science, and the politics of reform and free trade. Spencer received an informal education until the age of thirteen from his father, an intellectually exacting

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Citation: McLean, Steven. "Herbert Spencer". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 12 February 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4169, accessed 19 March 2024.]

4169 Herbert Spencer 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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