classical social theory : herbert spencer

herbert spencer

• the founding father of sociology in ENGLAND

• grand philosopher

major works

Social statics (1851)
The Study of Sociology (1896)

Mid victorian england was an era far removed from

the dangers of revolution and violent upheaval.

The trials and tribulations that had marked the industrial revolution

was over

The industrial revolution in England, the very first one in the world was characterized by

division of labor, alienation, and economic change

Property relations changed from concrete __to __ (share of ownership).

land ; abstract

What did comte and spencer agreed upon?

• all sciences rested on common philosophical foundations and could be brought together in a unified scheme

• considered social phenomena operating as a system, domain or realm in nature

• believed that the fundamental laws hich governed the natural world governed the social world

It was sociology for Comte and ___ for Spencer

evolution

all aspects of the universe are subject to the __ of evolution

laws

Spencer was very interested in evolutionary changes in social structures and institutions such as family, __, and military. which are the parts of a society

kinship

Spencer was a radiacal individualist and had to find a way of reconciling his ___ (social nominalism) with organicist approach.

individualism

spencer held as a general principle that “the properties of the units determine the properties of..

the aggregate."

The whole is the same as the sum of its

parts

Comte favored

“faire marcher” (intervention)

Spencer advocated

“laissez faire” (hands off)

Spencer considered that society must be free from the

meddling of governments and reformers

The states should be a ___ ___ which protects its citizens

nightwatchman state

organismic analogy

• both grow in size

• as they grow, they develop more complex, differentiated, structures (homogeneity → heterogeneity

• develop more specialized functions

• involved process of adjustment and adaptation to environment (equilibrium, survival of the fittest)

• even though on unit is destroyed others live at least for a while (cultural arrangement)

differentiated parts are mutually dependent

on each other, thus promoting integration

amoeba - primitive society
human - industrial society

factors of societal growth

1. population increase

2. union of groups

salvage selfishness

Spencer considered that humans are unfit for cooperation

union of groups

the joining of previously unrelated units

spencer attempted to classify types of societies in terms of their evolutionary stages. what are they?

simple, com9pound, doubly compound, and trebly compound (classification according to degrees of structural complexity)

militant societies

characterized by compulsory cooperation and exist of conflict with the outside world

industrial societies

characterized by voluntary cooperation and peaceful prediction

unit of analysis

• social nomialism

• spencer contends that the properties of the units (individuals) determine the properties of the aggregate. units of society alone exist

distinctive analogy

organismic analogy (struggle for existence & survival of the fittest)

method

comparative method (methodological atomism)

rate of change

slow, gradual, step-by-step, and small amounts of increments

Directionality

multilinear ; particular societies might retrogress as well as progress. societies develop in response to their social and natural environment

modus operandi

natural, necessary, internal, and external (threat by nearby society)

compound societies

• 2 simple societies getting together

• possibly peaceful or confrontational (usually about expansion)

• predominantly settled, agricultural societies

  • division of 4 or 5 social strata in an organized priestly group

doubly compound societies

• completely settled more integrated, more larger, and definite political structure, religious hierarchy, a more or less caste system , division of labor

treblely compound

• increased overall size

• complexity

• division of labor

• differentiation

• population density

• integration

• cultural complex

simple societies

• predominantly small

• nomadic

• lacking in leadership structure

• low degree of differentiation

• specialization

• integration

• no division of labor