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Herbert Spencer (1820-1903), a prominent English philosopher, sociologist, biologist, and influential classical liberal political theorist of the Victorian era, is best known for his contributions to various fields of academic and intellectual inquiry. A polymath, his multidisciplinary approach affected a broad spectrum of disciplines. Spencer's philosophical work is often summarized by the phrase 'survival of the fittest', a concept he elaborated upon in his writings, which predated but was later associated with Darwin's theory of evolution. Spencer's literature, notably in 'The Factors of Organic Evolution' and 'The Principles of Biology' (1864), applies his theories of evolution to the study of societal structures and human development, establishing him as a forerunner in the field of social Darwinism. His work was an ambitious attempt to create a synthetic philosophy that encompassed a vision of an evolutionary cosmos. Spencer's ideas, while innovative for his time, have since encountered criticism; nonetheless, his influence on contemporaneous thinkers was considerable and his works continue to be studied by scholars interested in the intersection of biology, sociology, and philosophy. Spencer attempted to apply scientific principles to the study of human societies and made significant contributions to a variety of disciplines, although his standing in current scholarly discourse is debatable and his theories often contested. |