Who said society is like a living organism

It has not been by command of any ruler that some men have become manufacturers, while others have remained cultivators of the soil. Spencer is often hard to read because of the profusion of historical and anthropological examples he provides in order to make his points. He also liked to use many biological examples as was the fashion at the time. Hughes, E. The professions in society. Le Grand, J. Motivation, Agency, and Public Policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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Bristol: Policy Press. Herbert Spencer and Social Theory. Classical Sociol. Social solidarity and Herbert Spencer: not the oxymoron that might be assumed. Peel, J. Herbert Spencer: The Evolution of a Sociologist. London: Heinemann. Ridge, T. It's a family affair. Policy 36, — Ritchie, D. Mr Spencer's political philosophy.

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London: Chapman. Essays , , vol. The Principles of Psychology , Vol. London: Williams and Norgate. He regarded the recognition of the similarity between society and organism as the first step towards a general theory of evolution. The same definition of life applies to both biological and social organism. Individuals are similar in terms of Image, Esthetics, Morals and Relationality. Specific distinctions, on the other hand, include neurological characteristics, intelligence, personality traits and value.

The Organic Theory of Society: Aristotle drew a comparison between the symmetry of the state and symmetry of the body and firmly held that the individual is an intrinsic part of society. According to Spencer the state is subject to the same laws of growth and decay to which the human body is. Social Darwinism has been used to justify imperialism, racism, eugenics and social inequality at various times over the past century and a half.

By extending their arguments to address entire nations, some social Darwinists justified imperialism on the basis that the imperial powers were naturally superior and their control over other nations was in the best interest of human evolution.

It is a scientific theory meant to explain observations about species. Yet some have used the theory to justify a particular view of human social, political, or economic conditions. All such ideas have one fundamental flaw: They use a purely scientific theory for a completely unscientific purpose.

The social Darwinists—notably Spencer and Walter Bagehot in England and William Graham Sumner in the United States—believed that the process of natural selection acting on variations in the population would result in the survival of the best competitors and in continuing improvement in the population. Many Social Darwinists embraced laissez-faire capitalism and racism. Bowman, , p. Quoted in Flourens, p. Bagster, , vol. Mayr n. William Whewell: History of the Inductive Sciences , third ed.

Phillip F. William B. Considering his contemporary reputation, William B. Carpenter has not received the systematic attention that he deserves. Three recent articles by L. Jacyna provide additional information on Carpenter and his milieu — L. Carpenter: Principles of General and Comparative Physiology , , p. Quoted in William B. Carpenter: Principles of General and Comparative Physiology , p. Parker, , p. Carpenter and James D.