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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:iii. The Principle of Economy applied to Sentences.11. Turning now from the choice of words to their sequence, we shall find the same general principle hold good.1 We have a priori reasons for believing that in every sentence there is some one order of words more effective than any other; and that this order is the one which presents the elements of the proposition in the succession in which they may be most readily put together. As in a narrative, the events should be stated in such sequence that the mind may not have to go backwards and forwards in order to rightly connect them; as in a group of sentences, the arrangement should be such, that each of them may be understood as it comes, without waiting for subsequent ones; so in every sentence, the sequence of words should be that which suggests the constituents of the thought in the order most convenient for the building up that thought. Duly to enforce this truth, and to prepare the way for applications of it, we must briefly inquire into the mental act by which the meaning of a series of words is apprehended.2of the mind in thinking a class is different from its operation in thinking a particular of that class. In the latter case the mental procedure consists in bringing up a particular image of the thing; in the former the mind grasps the function of the image, leaving the particular features wholly out of account. The trained thinker in thinking the class ' horse' does not "choose from his stock" of mental horses. He thinks the concept horse, and in so doing he may attain to a perfectly definite notion of the class without having in consciousness any particular horse whatsoever. The particular image is of course present, but such features as hight, color, etc., are simply disregarded. See, on this point, Dewey's ' Ps... ... Read more

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From the Foreword: "Herbert Spencer produced four major works in political philosophy plus numerous additional and important essays. The first of these works, The Proper Sphere of Government (1842) is the least well-known. The second is Spencer's most famous systemic treatise in this area, Social Statics (1851). The Man Versus The State (1884), which is the centerpiece of this volume, is the third major political work. This is a more polemical and quasi-sociological work than either the first two or Spencer's fourth major political study, "Justice," Part IV of The Principles of Ethics (1891).

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This title has fewer than 24 printed text pages. Mine Pumping in Agricola's Time and Later is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Robert P. Multhauf is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Robert P. Multhauf then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Of this second volume, as of the first volume, it may be
said that if is more a new work than a new edition. The
only one of ifs several divisions which retins substan-
tially its original shape, is Part VI., Special Analysis.
this, such changes of sigaificance as wilI be round»
arisen by the addition of pp 302--305, showing that the
subject-matter of Logic is objective, and by the farther
developments given to the chapters on "The Perception of
Body as Presenting Statical Attributes," "The Perception
of Space," and "The Perception of Motion,"--developments
by which the doctrine set forth in those chapters, bas been
more fully harmonised with the Doctrine of Evolution
Part VIII., General ±nalysis, though it contains fragments
of the Part which bore that title in the First Edition is
mainly new in substance and wholly new in organization ;
and of Part IX., Corollaries, there was nothing answering
in the First Edition.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS OF VOL II; PART Vr-SPECIAL ANALYSIS; 'CRAP 'PAUl!!; I,-LlMITATION OF THE SUBJ:ECT 3; ll-COMPOU:KD QUANTITATrvE 'REASONING G; IU~Ob(rOUND QUANTlTATlVE Rl!lASONIKG CONTINUED 19; IV-rMl'ERFJl;CT AND SIMPLE QUANTITATIVE REASONING 26; V-QUANTITATIVE REASONING IN GENERAL 37; VJ-PERFECT QUALITATIVE BEASONlNG 50; VU-IMPERll'ECT QUALITATIVE REASOlUNG ??? 65; Vlll-REASONING IN G}!lNERAL 8~; IX-CLASSIFlCATION, NAMmo) AND BECOGNITION 117; X-'l'lIE l'ERC~PTION OF E>I'ECIAL OJ3JECTS 131; XI----JJ'BE PERCEFTION OF EODY AS PRESEN'('ING DYNAM[; CAL) STATlCO-DYNAMICAL AND STATICAL ATTRIBUTES; 136; XD-'l'l!F rXltCRPTlON OJJ' BODY AS PRESENTING 8'rATICODYNAlIUCJ; L AND S'UTICAL ATl'RIDUTES 154; XlII-TlIE PERCBPTlON OF EODY AS PBESENTlNO STATICAL; ATTRlEUTES 164; 9XIV-THE l'EHCEI'TION Q}j' BrACE 178; XV-TBR PERCEPl'ION OP TIME 2 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Most wide ranging book about human psychology
This is probably the most wide ranging and best book ever written about human psychology. Even though it is more than 100 years old, it still gives the best description of the width and range of human thinking andactivities.

Roughly speaking, there are two main areas inpsychology:

1. The clinical psychology, psychoanalysis and treatment.That area was to a large part shaped by Freud.

2. The cognitivepsychology which describes how we think and experience the world. That areawas founded by William James, and this book is his main work

The bookwas written before the separation of psychological science, philosophy anddiscussions about ethics and human values. It was also written before muchof the cognitive psychology degenerated into investigations of white micerunning through mazes. It can therefore give a wide ranging and consistentwiev of our thinking and experience. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Man v. State
Herbert Spencer believed in the ubiquity of the fundamental processes of integration, dissolution, equilibration, segregation and differentiation. These are subsumed under his concept of evolution, defined as the trend towards increasing differentiation coupled with integration--the trend from the simpler to the more complex.

These matters, however, are touched upon only briefly in this work, competently edited and provided with an erudite introduction. As the title indicates, the book expounds Spencer's views on politics and ethics rather than his contributions to sociological and anthropological theory; and the reader interested in the latter must look at his Principles of Sociology.

Spencer believed ethics ought to rest upon biology and sociology, which alone can reveal the goal of social evolution; and that the value of individual as well as collective practices can be assessed by ascertaining whether they subserve or impede the attainment of this goal.This view is based on a premise that the general direction of the march of mankind must be good.

Spencer favored laissez-faire in all matters (e.g., education policy, public health, etc.).His diatribes against the short-sightedness, inertia, pettiness and selfishness of politicians and bureaucrats retain their perennial topicality.For now, bureaucracy is the chief agent of oppression and exploitation, which endows Spencer's impassioned pleas for liberty, and his tirades against the bureaucratic octopus, with perhaps more merit today than they did when they were penned.

Just a note on the real cover art --
The cover art that's shown is NOT the cover art on the actual book that's shipped.

The ugly one shown is replaced by a beautiful, modern cover with earthy tones and a spine that looks nice on bookshelves.

The text itself is a bit large, and the book a bit clunky, but the publisher is independent, and this text is rare, so it's forgivable.

I have not yet read the book, though I anticipate it will be brilliant, given Spencer's intellect, but I wanted to let prospective customers know about the cover art!

Perhaps the greatest intellect of all time
I agree with Dr. Boudreaux.

When Hayek said "We understand now that all enduring structures above the level of simplest atoms, and up to the brain and society, are the results of, and can be explained only in terms of, processes of selective evolution..." He was reiterating the insights that Spencer was already expounding over a century earlier. Given my current state of ignorance I believe that Herbert Spencer is the greatest intellectual of all time, with F.A. Hayek coming in a close second. It seems like the world is just beginning to catch up to Hayek. Who knows how much longer till we rediscover Spencer.


This book is a masterpiece. It has been a long time since I read it and the essay I remember most is "Over-legislation" where he does a great job criticizing government interventions into what he referred to as the social organism. He was right! We really are a social organism... or has Hayek would mention "extended order". I quote this wonderful essay often in my book.

No wonder Darwin himself said to him "Every one with eyes to see and ears to hear (the number, I fear, are not many) ought to bow their knee to you, and I for one do."and in another occasion referred to Spencer as "twenty times my superior."

Lucid, Penetrating, and Dripping with Wisdom
This book, deservedly, is a classic.Although relatively short, it is chock-full of insights -- many of which anticipate the important work decades later by F.A. Hayek.Spencer's passion for freedom, and hisunderstanding of the nature of politicized and depoliticized societies, wasdeep.This is an inspiring work. ... Read more

Product Description
This book presents Spencer's classic attempt to expose the flaws in socialism and to assert political individualism as the best way to guarantee social progress. It will be of interest to both undergraduates and specialists in politics, political theory, social policy, sociology and history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Alternative publishing outlets:
If you want Spencer's Man vs. The State, you may as well purchase it from any number of independent libertarian publishing houses, the Mises Inst. in particular. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Science; Political science; Philosophy; Philosophy / General; Philosophy / Aesthetics; Philosophy / Ethics ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: D. Appleton and Co. in 1884 in 443 pages; Subjects: Political science; History / United States / General; Language Arts & Disciplines / Rhetoric; Philosophy / General; Philosophy / Aesthetics; Philosophy / Ethics & Moral Philosophy; Philosophy / History & Surveys / Modern; Philosophy / Political; Political Science / General; ... Read more

Product Description
The four essays on education which Herbert Spencer published in a single volume in 1861 were all written and separately published between 1854 and 1859. Their tone was aggressive and their proposals revolutionary…' (Excerpt from original Introduction) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Setting the record straight
Amazon's bibliographical citation for this work is way off; you'd be lucky to find it in a reputable library catalog if you tried looking up this sloppy job. The proper title is "Herbert Spencer on Social Evolution"; the editor of the selection is J.D.Y. Peel; and it is published in the U. of Chicago Press's series "The Heritage of Sociology" (NOT "... Society.") It's a good selection of Spencer's writings, including brief extracts from his letters. I was about to sell my copy when I started browsing through it again -- and decided to keep it. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: Appleton in 1892 in 307 pages; Subjects: Ethics; Ethics, Evolutionary; Philosophy / General; Philosophy / Ethics & Moral Philosophy; Philosophy / History & Surveys / General; Philosophy / History & Surveys / Modern; ... Read more

Product Description
BEING somewhat at variance with precedent, the tone and
mode of treatment occasionally adopted in the following pages
will, perhaps, provoke criticism. Whether;, in thus innovating
upon estahlished usage, the writer has acted judiciously or
otherwise, the event must determine. He has not, however,
transgressed without adequate motive; having done so under
the belief that, as it is the purpose of a book to influence con
duct, the best way of writing a book must be the way best
fitted to effect this purpose.

Table of Contents

The Doctrine of Expediency ........ 1

The Doctrine of the Moral Sense 16

Lemma I. ........... 31

Lemma II. ,38



PART I.

CHAP. I. DeBnition of Morality 55

II. The Evanescence of Evil ....... 59

III. The Divine Idea ; and the Conditions of its Realization . 66



PART II.

IV. Derivation of a First Principle 75

V. Secondary Derivation of a First Principle . . .90

VI. First Principle 103

VII. Application of this First Principle . . . . .110

VIII. The Rights of Life and Personal Liberty . . . .112

IX. The Right to the Use of the Earth 1 14



V11I CONTENTS.

PAUE

CHAP. X. The Right of Property .... . . 126

XI. The Right of Property in Ideas . . 136

XII. The Right of Property in Character . 143

XIII. The Right of Exchange .... . 14(5

XIV. The Right of Free Speech . 148
XV. Further Rights . 154

XVI. The Rights of Women .... . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

AMAZING BOOK - Horrible scan of original version
Excellent book, horrible scan. So horrible I had to return it. And it pained me to do so because it rules so much.

A horrible edition, badly printed
I was very disappointed in the quality of this reprint.It looks like a very poor scan of the original, with blotchy, hard-to-read type (poor resolution, perhaps, or somebody turned up the contrast on the scan too high in an effort to get rid of stains or some such thing), and it's been over-enlarged to make the page margins too small.It is painful to read, which would not be so awful if it were a short work but is downright prohibitive in a book of this length.I will go and seek out a better printing; this was a waste of money.

Near-Brilliant Performance
If it were not for one mistaken aplication of his maxim, I would have to say that this is one of the most astounding, consistent exposition of libertarian theory in history.However, Spencer is not wholly consistent,and his main inconsistency is so important, that it cannot be safelyoverlooked.The lapse that I speak of is his absurd and anti-libertarianposition on the private ownership of land.He believes that land cannot berightfully held in private hands, but rather that "society" ownsthe land.This indeed is an extremely specious piece of logic for a manwho upholds the rights of the individual over the "state," the"majority," and "society."Not only that, it mars hisentire concept of a free society.Otherwise, this work represents alandmark in libertarian individualist thought.His theory of "equalfreedom" is almost identical in spirit to the non-aggression maximsutilized by thinkers such as Ayn Rand and Murray Rothbard.His applicationof of this basic axiom is also impressive.He thoroughly any function ofthe state beyond the absolute minimum.Even further, he even acknowledgesthe "Right To Ignore The State."Nevertheless, his views on theprivate ownership of land are so out of line that I cannot honestly givethis book the degree of praise that it could have very easily earned. ... Read more