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Palgrave Macmillan

Herbert Spencer and Social Theory

  • Book
  • © 2010

Overview

Authors:
  1. John Offer

    1. University of Ulster, UK

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Table of contents (11 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-vii
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Introduction

    • John Offer
    Pages 1-26

  3. Early Spencer: Influences and Ideas

    • John Offer
    Pages 27-61

  4. Middle Spencer: Towards a Tapestry of the World

    • John Offer
    Pages 62-95

  5. Later Spencer: Crafting the Principles of Sociology, and Losing Hold

    • John Offer
    Pages 96-136

  6. Evolution and Mind

    • John Offer
    Pages 137-160

  7. Mind and Society

    • John Offer
    Pages 161-195

  8. The Social Organism

    • John Offer
    Pages 196-222

  9. Militant and Industrial Social Types

    • John Offer
    Pages 223-252

  10. Understanding Music

    • John Offer
    Pages 253-274

  11. Sociology, Ethics and Well-Being

    • John Offer
    Pages 275-305

  12. Concluding Reflections

    • John Offer
    Pages 306-327

  13. Back Matter

    Pages 328-375
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Keywords

About this book

Herbert Spencer remains a significant but poorly understood figure in 19th century intellectual life. His ideas on evolution ranged across the natural sciences and philosophy, and he pioneered new ideas in psychology and sociology. This book comprehensively examines his work and strips away common misconceptions about his sociology.

Reviews

'The last twenty years have seen a notable revivial of scholarly interest in Herbert Spencer...all of these are now eclipsed by John Offer's excellect study, which must surely remain the definitive critical treatment on the whole range of Spencer's thought for quite some time to come.' - J. D. Y. Peel, European Journal of Sociology

Authors and Affiliations

  • University of Ulster, UK

    John Offer

About the author

John Offer is Professor of Social Theory and Policy, University of Ulster, UK.  He has published extensively on Spencer and aspects of the history of social policy. His previous books include An Intellectual History of British Social Policy, Herbert Spencer: Critical Assessments and Social Workers, the Community and Social Interaction.

 

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