Herbert Spencer Quotes - Page 6

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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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• 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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• To play billiards well was a sign of an ill-spent youth

  Herbert Spencer

  Gambling, Play, Billiards

  Quoted in Duncan Life and Letters of Spencer, ch.20. Robert Louis Stevenson has also been credited with this observation.

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• Aggression which is flagitious when committed by one, is not sanctioned when committed by a host.

  Herbert Spencer

  Host, Committed, Aggression

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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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• Any piece of knowledge which the pupil has himself acquired- any problem which he has himself solved, becomes, by virtue of the conquest, much more thoroughly his than it could else be. The preliminary activity of mind which his success implies, the concentration of thought necessary to it, and the excitement consequent on his triumph, conspire to register the facts in his memory in a way that no mere information heard from a teacher, or read in a schoolbook, can be registered.

  Herbert Spencer

  Teacher, Memories, Learning

  Herbert Spencer (1861). “Education: intellectual, moral, and physical”, p.100

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• A function to each organ, and each organ to its own function, is the law of all organization.

  Herbert Spencer

  Science, Law, Organization

  Herbert Spencer (1873). “Social Statics; Or, The Conditions Essential to Human Happiness Specified, & the First of Them Developed”, p.301

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• Music may appeal to crude and coarse feelings or to refined and noble ones; and in so far as it does the latter it awakens the higher nature and works an effect, though but a transitory effect, of a beneficial kind. But the primary purpose of music is neither instruction nor culture but pleasure; and this is an all-sufficient purpose.

  Herbert Spencer

  Feelings, Doe, Culture

  Herbert Spencer (1910). “Works”

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• Those who cavalierly reject the Theory of Evolution, as not adequately supported by facts, seem quite to forget that their own theory it supported by no facts at all.

  Herbert Spencer

  Wisdom, Theory Of Evolution, Facts

  Herbert Spencer (1858). “Essays: Scientific, Political and Speculative”, p.389

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• The child takes most of his nature of the mother, besides speech, manners, and inclination.

  Herbert Spencer

  Mother, Children, Speech

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• Music must take rank as the highest of the fine arts - as the one which, more than any other, ministers to human welfare.

  Herbert Spencer

  Music, Art, Spirit

  "Essays on Education". Book by Herbert Spencer, 1861.

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• Courage is worthy of respect when displayed in the maintenance of legitimate claims and in the repelling of aggressions, bodily or other. Courage is worthy of yet higher respect when danger is faced in defence of claims common to self and others, as in resistance to invasion. Courage is worthy of the highest respect when risk to life or limb is dared in defence of others.

  Herbert Spencer

  Courage, Self, Risk

  Herbert Spencer (1874). “The Study of Sociology”, p.202, London, D. Appleton

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• Evil perpetually tends to disappear.

  Herbert Spencer

  Evil, Disappear

  Herbert Spencer (2016). “Social Statics: Great Essays”, p.51, VM eBooks

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• Practical atheism, seeing no guidance for human affairs but its own limited foresight, endeavors itself to play the god, and decide what will be good for mankind and what bad.

  Herbert Spencer

  Play, Atheism, Guidance

  Herbert Spencer (1873). “Social Statics; Or, The Conditions Essential to Human Happiness Specified, & the First of Them Developed”, p.518

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• Much dearer be the things which come through hard distress.

  Herbert Spencer

  Adversity, Distress, Hard

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• In science the important thing is to modify and change one's ideas as science advances.

  Herbert Spencer

  Change, Science, Ideas

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• Lusts are like agues; the fit is not always on, and yet the man is not rid of his disease; and some men's lusts, like some agues, have not such quick returns as others.

  Herbert Spencer

  Men, Lust, Disease

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• The more numerous public instrumentalities become, the more is there generated in citizens the notion that everything is to be done for them, and nothing by them. Every generation is made less familiar with the attainment of desired ends by individual actions or private agencies; until, eventually, governmental agencies come to be thought of as the only available agencies.

  Herbert Spencer

  Agency, Generations, Citizens

  Herbert Spencer, John Offer (1994). “Spencer: Political Writings”, p.92, Cambridge University Press

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• There can be little question that good composition is far less dependent upon acquaintance with its laws, than upon practice and natural aptitude. A clear head, a quick imagination, and a sensitive ear, will go far towards making all rhetorical precepts needless.

  Herbert Spencer

  Clear Head, Law, Practice

  Herbert Spencer (1873). “Philosophy of Style: An Essay”, p.9

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• In literary art, as in the art of the architect, the painter, the musician, signs that the artist is thinking of his own achievement more than of his subject always offend me.

  Herbert Spencer

  Art, Thinking, Achievement

  Herbert Spencer (1902). “Facts and comments”

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• The "Creed of Christendom" is alien to my nature, both emotional and intellectual.

  Herbert Spencer

  Emotional, Intellectual, Atheism

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

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• ... those who have never entered upon scientific pursuits know not a tithe of the poetry by which they are surrounded... Sad, indeed, is it to see how men occupy themselves with trivialities, and are indifferent to the grandest phenomena - care not to understand the architecture of the heavens, but are deeply interested in some contemptible controversy about the intrigues of Mary Queen of Scots!

  Herbert Spencer

  Queens, Men, Heaven

  Herbert Spencer (1866). “Education: Intellectual, Moral, and Physical”, p.83

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• It is a commonly observed fact that the enslavement of women is invariably associated with a low type of social life, and that, conversely, her elevation towards an equality with man uniformly accompanies progress.

  Herbert Spencer

  Equality, Men, Progress

  Herbert Spencer (1873). “Social Statics; Or, The Conditions Essential to Human Happiness Specified, & the First of Them Developed”, p.198

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• As there must be moderation in other things, so there must be moderation in self-criticism. Perpetual contemplation of our own actions produces a morbid consciousness, quite unlike that normal consciousness accompanying right actions spontaneously done; and from a state of unstable equilibrium long maintained by effort, there is apt to be a fall towards stable equilibrium, in which the primitive nature reasserts itself. Retrogression rather than progression may hence result.

  Herbert Spencer

  Fall, Self, Long

  "The Principles of Ethics" by Herbert Spencer, (Ch. 10), 1897.

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• In societies of low civilization, there is no money.

  Herbert Spencer

  Civilization, Lows, No Money

  Herbert Spencer (1864). “Illustrations of Universal Progress: A Series of Discussions”, p.415

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