Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)

[Philosophy Now]

by Terence Green

https://philosophynow.org/issues/156/Herbert_Spencer_1820-1903

[Gary Childress]

by Terence Green

https://philosophynow.org/issues/156/He ... _1820-1903

There's nothing "positive" about evolution unless you are one of the winners who represent "progress".

[Age]

by Terence Green

https://philosophynow.org/issues/156/He ... _1820-1903

There's nothing "positive" about evolution unless you are one of the winners who represent "progress".

Do you know of ANY one who is a so-called 'winner'?

If yes, then will you name them?

[Sculptor]

Couple of reactions to the tawdry article.

1) For the most part Darwin also accepted Lamarkism and included it in the earlier editions of Origin of Species until extensive experiments with Galton and rabbits failed to demonstrate the phenomenon.
But Spencer's persistent belief in it would obviously lead to a teleological and progressive idea for evolution.

2) Giraffes do not have long necks to reach the highest leaves in the tree. Sadly necks are a serious impediment to giraffe nutrition since they get most of their food from grazing from the ground like other herbivores. This practice looks painful, yet it is how they eat.
No, the wonder of the giraffe's neck is all to do with reproduction and male competition which has meant that males with the longest necks have been the most successful at getting a female.
You have only to see two males going at it together using the horns on their necks like medieval maces ,or warhammers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKVYAqtKBVI

[attofishpi]

..the ones with longer necks can also spot the hot chicks from further away.

[promethean75]

Did u guys know in his old age Herbert played guitar for a band called Crosby, Stills, Nash & Spencer? Check him out.

th-4179095596.jpg (21.45 KiB) Viewed 1222 times

[Gary Childress]

Did u guys know in his old age Herbert played guitar for a band called Crosby, Stills, Nash & Spencer? Check him out.


th-4179095596.jpg

Looks like he's having a bad day.

[popeye1945]

by Terence Green

https://philosophynow.org/issues/156/He ... _1820-1903

There's nothing "positive" about evolution unless you are one of the winners who represent "progress".

Hi Gary,

Evolution is positive in the sense that it spells adaptation, thus survival, the organism is plastic and through its reactions to the changing physical world it survives as a species. Death, mutation and time/temporality are the functional variables of evolution, a harsh process. I think perhaps you are right though, as Schopenhauer once stated, life is something that should never have been.

[rootseeker]

Its interesting that people waited until after death to ridicule Herbert Spencer, that is quite cowardly of them.

Herbert Spencer believed that the state is a role model for evil... that the state lies, cheats, steals, and kills liberally and with impunity. That sounds understandable, I don't see the hysterics part of that position.

I believe Spencer's downfall had little to do with his politics and alleged racism. It had somewhat to do with his understanding of evolution being different than the scientific perspective, and so his writings were couched in terms that went on to become different than how people used them. Or put another way his model of evolution is not accepted as the way things work.

But when you see that Spencer didn't actually read much of philosophy himself, that is fundamentally going to lead to a lower quality of work than philosophers who do read philosophy. So there was missing quality that came from ignoring other's ideas. But this also placed him as an outcast by other philosophers who will feel ignored and therefore lash out in protest and ridicule of weaknesses.