The ideas of the English philosopher Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) have shaped evolutionary theory, philosophy of science, sociology and politics. He was a colossus of the Victorian age, and his works ranked alongside those of Darwin and Marx in the development of disciplines as wide ranging as sociology, anthropology, political theory, philosophy and psychology.
Using archival material and contemporary printed sources, Francis creates a fascinating portrait of a human being whose philosophical and scientific system was a unique attempt to explain modern life in all its biological, psychological and sociological forms. Elegantly written, provocative and rich in insight, it will be required reading for all students of the period
