Contribution to Sociology (Research Paper Sample)

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Only the strong survive
Early life
Herbert spencer was born on April 27, 1820 in Derby England. He got homeschooling from his father and clergyman uncle. Despite the lack of formal education, mathematics and natural sciences became hi strongest subjects.
His father died and left him an inheritance large enough to live comfortably. Thereafter he became an article writer on political and scientific matters. His articles were radical and hey attracted a significant readership. In his time, Victorians regarded him as the foremost philosopher in that era. He made substantial contributions to psychology, biology, philosophy and sociology His work was brilliant and today he is best known for coining the phrase” survival of the fittest” referring to his principles of cultural revolution (Spencer, 81).
Major works
From his early teachings, he became acquainted with the ideologies of philosophical radicalism as much as the principles of dissenting Protestantism. His largest work is probably his book; ‘A system of Synthetic Philosophy,’ where he tries to account for many elements of human culture through the evolutionary theory. He discusses topics such as sociology, psychology, ethics and biology. In political and social sciences he covered ideologies in social Darwinism. In this category spencer covered several issues in sociology together with facts and comments on social statics. From here, we get to know of his book such as social statics or the conditions essential to human happiness where he discussed humanity’s progression through the evolutionary theory lens.
Spencer was a sociologist; he did not feel the urge to change society but understood that societies were automatically bound to change. Combining the theories of natural selection from Darwin with his theory of the survival for the fittest, he tries to explain how social systems gradually evolve. Where did “survival for the fittest” come from and what does it really mean? Is it the same as evolution? The idea that something changes naturally is not new. Charles Darwin explained this through his evolution theory.
His argument entails that stronger societies have the capacity to survive and grow while the weaker ones will be left behind and will eventually disappear. In addition, the stronger societies ‘deserve’ to survive as they are more able to foster forward humanity’s upward progress. During this time, the 1800s, this theory appealed retain and the United States. They were very strong nations then and this theory made their power and wealth seem like proof of virtue.
More than this, this theory justified colonialism as its ideologies implied that the developed and thus stronger nations had the responsibility to control the less developed nations and help in the advancement of their civilization levels. Moreover, spencer argued that the war was actually of benefit as it allowed a society to become more organized and advanced while helping organize the more inferior societies.
Spencer’s thought’s wee that the evolution of species followed a certain pattern and was able to produce the best possible result. The tampering or interference with the natural evolutionary process from the government only had destructive consequences for society (Spencer, 51).
Social Darwinism, as was Spencer’s ideologies centered in became an application of natural selection theory to social, political and economic issues. This theory made the white European race seem more superior to others and they thus were ‘destined’ to rule over the rest. At this time when spencer was expressing his theories of social Darwinism, the ‘white European’ was more advanced than that of other countries. The economic and the military advantage they possesses supported arguments that actually natural selection was playing out and simply the white race was more suited to survival and therefore winning (Spencer, 19).
From his ideologies then, spencer was not in support of government interference in society through their welfare programs. He argued that these programs allowed even the physically and mentally unfit persons to continue reproducing –population the next generation. (Spencer, 77) This, he argued, would have implications in society- they would cause gradual degeneration. Many that reject any form of governmental welfare will often use arguments stemming from spencer’s ideologies in social Darwinism.
This theory implied that evolution could be equated with progress. This made the ‘advanced’ societies to see themselves as mor...