Herbert Spencer Quotes - Page 5

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• Rightness expresses of actions, what straightness does of lines; and there can no more be two kinds of right action than there can be two kinds of straight lines.

  Herbert Spencer

  Two, Doe, Lines

  Herbert Spencer (1868). “Social Statics, Or, The Conditions Essential to Human Happiness Specified, and the First of Them Developed”, p.510

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• The forces which are working out the great scheme of perfect happiness, taking no account of incidental suffering, exterminate such sections of mankind as stand in their way, with the same sternness that they exterminate beasts of prey and herds of useless ruminants.

  Herbert Spencer

  Work Out, Perfect, Suffering

  Herbert Spencer (1851). “Social Statics: Or, the Conditions Essential to Human Happiness Specified, and the First of Them Developed”, p.416

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• How truly language must be regarded as a hindrance to thought, though the necessary instrument of it, we shall clearly perceive on remembering the comparative force with which simple ideas are communicated by signs. To say, "Leave the room," is less expressive than to point to the door. Place a finger on the lips is more forcible than whispering, "Do not speak." A beck of the hand is better than, "Come here." No phrase can convey the idea of surprise so vividly as opening the eyes and raising the eyebrows. A shrug of the shoulders would lose much by translation into words.

  Herbert Spencer

  Eye, Simple, Doors

  Herbert Spencer (1871). “Essays: Moral, Political and Aesthetic”, p.11

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• It is the function of parents to see that their children habitually experience the true consequences of their conduct.

  Herbert Spencer

  Children, Inspiration, Parenting

  Herbert Spencer (1866). “Education: Intellectual, Moral, and Physical”, p.178

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• Let men learn that a legislature is not 'our God upon earth,' though, by the authority they ascribe to it, and the things they expect from it, they would seem to think it is. Let them learn rather that it is an institution serving a purely temporary purpose, whose power, when not stolen, is at the best borrowed.

  Herbert Spencer

  Men, Thinking, Purpose

  Herbert Spencer (1873). “Social Statics; Or, The Conditions Essential to Human Happiness Specified, & the First of Them Developed”, p.230

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• People ... become so preoccupied with the means by which an end is achieved, as eventually to mistake it for the end. Just as money, which is a means of satisfying wants, comes to be regarded by a miser as the sole thing to be worked for, leaving the wants unsatisfied; so the conduct men have found preferable because most conducive to happiness, has come to be thought of as intrinsically preferable: not only to be made a proximate end (which it should be), but to be made an ultimate end, to the exclusion of the true ultimate end.

  Herbert Spencer

  Mistake, Mean, Men

  "The Principles of Ethics" by Herbert Spencer, New York, (§ 14, pp. 38-39), 1915.

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• Originally, ethics has no existence apart from religion, which holds it in solution.

  Herbert Spencer

  Ethics, Existence, Solutions

  Herbert Spencer (2016). “The Principles of Ethics - Completed: Great Essays”, p.269, VM eBooks

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• No philosopher's stone of a constitution can produce golden conduct from leaden instincts.

  Herbert Spencer

  Stones, Golden, Philosopher

  Herbert Spencer (1873). “Social Statics; Or, The Conditions Essential to Human Happiness Specified, & the First of Them Developed”, p.295

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• Under the natural course of things each citizen tends towards his fittest function. Those who are competent to the kind of work they undertake, succeed, and, in the average of cases, are advanced in proportion to their efficiency; while the incompetent, society soon finds out, ceases to employ, forces to try something easier, and eventually turns to use.

  Herbert Spencer

  Average, Trying, Citizens

  Herbert Spencer (1858). “Essays--scientific, political and speculative”, p.324

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• I emphasize the reply that the liberty which a citizen enjoys is to be measured, not by the nature of the governmental machinery he lives under, whether representative or other, but by the relative paucity of the restraints it imposes on him.

  Herbert Spencer

  Liberty, Citizens, Libertarian

  "The man versus the state: with six essays on government, society, and freedom".

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• Policeman are soldiers who act alone; soldiers are policeman who act in unison.

  Herbert Spencer

  Soldier, Unison, Policemen

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• The question of questions for the politicians should ever be-What type of social structure am I tending to produce? But this is a question he never entertains.

  Herbert Spencer

  Politics, Politician, Social

  Herbert Spencer (1894). “The Man Versus the State: Containing "The New Toryism," "The Coming Slavery," "The Sins of Legislators" and "The Great Political Superstition”

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• Regarding language as an apparatus of symbols for the conveyance of thought, we may say that, as in a mechanical apparatus, the more simple and the better arranged its parts, the greater will be the effect produced.

  Herbert Spencer

  Simple, May, Language

  Herbert Spencer (1868). “Essays: Scientific, Political, and Speculative”, p.11

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• Old forms of government finally grow so oppressive that they must be thrown off even at the risk of reigns of terror.

  Herbert Spencer

  Government, Risk, Reign

  Herbert Spencer (2016). “Illustrations of Universal Progress: Great Philosopher”, p.62, 北戴河出版

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• The idea of disembodied spirits is wholly unsupported by evidence, and I cannot accept it.

  Herbert Spencer

  Ideas, Atheism, Spirit

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• It cannot but happen?that those will survive whose functions happen to be most nearly in equilibrium with the modified aggregate of external forces? This survival of the fittest implies multiplication of the fittest.

  Herbert Spencer

  Survival, External Forces, Function

  'Principles of Biology' (1865) pt. 3, ch. 12, 164.

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• That feelings of love and hate make rational judgments impossible in public affairs, as in private affairs, we can clearly enough see in others, though not so clearly in ourselves.

  Herbert Spencer

  Hate, Feelings, Impossible

  Herbert Spencer (1874). “The Study of Sociology”, p.153, London, D. Appleton

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• And yet, strange to say, now that this truth is recognized by most cultivated people — now that the beneficent working of the survival of the fittest has been so impressed on them that, much more than people in past times, they might be expected to hesitate before neutralizing its action — now more than ever before in the history of the world, are they doing all they can to further survival of the unfittest!

  Herbert Spencer

  People, Survival, World

  "The Man versus the State: Great Essays".

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• The freest form of government is only the least objectionable form. The rule of the many by the few we call tyranny: the rule of the few by the many is tyranny also; only of a less intense kind.

  Herbert Spencer

  Government, Kind, Intense

  Herbert Spencer (2016). “Social Statics: Great Essays”, p.176, VM eBooks

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• A nation's institutions and beliefs are determined by it's character.

  Herbert Spencer

  Military, Character, Determined

  Herbert Spencer (1873). “Social Statics; Or, The Conditions Essential to Human Happiness Specified, & the First of Them Developed”, p.182

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• If men were wise they would see that the affection that God has implanted in us is amply sufficient, when not weakened by artificial aid, to ensure permanence of union; and if they would have more faith in this all would go well. To tie together by human law what God has tied together by passion, is about as wise as it would be to chain the moon to the earth lest the natural attraction existing between them should not be sufficient to prevent them flying asunder.

  Herbert Spencer

  Marriage, Wise, Passion

  Herbert Spencer (1904). “An Autobiography: By Herbert Spencer”

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• Sundry manifestations of nature in men and women, are greatly perverted by existing social conventions upheld by both. There are feelings which, under our predatory régime, with its adapted standard of propriety, it is not considered manly to show; but which, contrariwise, are considered admirable in women. Hence repressed manifestations in the one case, and exaggerated manifestations in the other; leading to mistaken estimates.

  Herbert Spencer

  Men, Feelings, Social

  HERBERT SPENCER (1874). “THE STUDY OF SOCIOLOGY”, p.421

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• If they are sufficiently complete to live, they do live, and it is well they should live. If they are not sufficiently complete to live, they die, and it is best they should die.

  Herbert Spencer

  Should, Wells, Dies

  Herbert Spencer (2016). “Social Statics: Great Essays”, p.322, VM eBooks

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• Conservatism defends those coercive arrangements which a still-lingering savageness makes requisite. Radicalism endeavours to realize a state more in harmony with the character of the ideal man.

  Herbert Spencer

  Character, Men, Radicalism

  Herbert Spencer (1851). “Social Statics: Or, the Conditions Essential to Human Happiness Specified, and the First of Them Developed”, p.469

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• Volumes might be written upon the impiety of the pious.

  Herbert Spencer

  Might, Volume, Written

  Herbert Spencer (2016). “First Principles: Great Philosopher”, p.97, 北戴河出版

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