Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 3.djvu/372

 'Economist' office in the Strand, and through Chapman's soirees Spencer made many acquaintances. Among these was George Henry Lewes [q. v.], first met in the spring of 1850, who afterwards became one of his most intimate friends. Among them also was Miss Mary Ann or Marian Evans, then chiefly known as the translator of Strauss, and afterwards famous as 'George Eliot.' By Lewes, Spencer was introduced to Carlyle; but their temperaments were too much opposed to permit the acquaintanceship to endure. With 'George Eliot' Spencer's relations were so intimate as to excite gossip about the likelihood of their marriage. Though in the abstract he was very desirous of marrying, and regarded ’George Eliot' 'as the most admirable woman, mentally, I ever met,' yet he did not embark upon a suit which, in all probability, would have been successful. Apparently the absence of personal beauty restrained the growth of his affection (Autobiog. ii. 445). Another acquaintance, made in 1852, was that of Huxley, still quite unknown. By Huxley he was introduced the following year to Tyndall, the physicist ; and with both Huxley and Tyndall there commenced friendships which ripened into close intimacy.

The comparative hberty which Spencer's duties at the 'Economist' office afforded gave him an opportunity of writing his first book, 'Social Statics : or the Conditions Essential to Human Happiness specified, and the first of them developed.' The main object of this work, which appeared at the beginning of 1851, was to set forth the doctrine that 'every man has freedom to do all that he wills, provided he infringes not the equal freedom of any other man.' From this general principle he deduced the public claims to freedom of speech, to property, &c. He went so far as to assert the right of the citizen to refuse to pay taxes, if he surrendered the advantages of protection by the state. The functions of the state were limited solely to the performance of police duties at home, and to protection against foreign aggression by the maintenance of an army and navy. National education, poor laws, sanitary supervision are all explicitly condemned, as well as every other branch of state activity that is not included in the above formula.

'Social Statics' was unexpectedly successful. The extreme individualism which characterised it fitted in well with the views of the philosophical radicals and the Manchester school, then reaching the height of their influence. He was asked by Lewes, who was literary editor of a radical paper called the 'Leader,' to contribute articles ; and wrote several anonymously which have since been republished in his essays. Most important of these was that on the 'Development Hypothesis' in March 1852, in which the theory of organic evolution was defended (seven years prior to the publication of the 'Origin of Species'). For the 'Westminster Review,' now in the hands of Chapman, he elaborated a 'Theory of Population' which adumbrated one of the doctrines subsequently embodied in ’The Principles of Biology.' Relations were also estabUshed with the 'British Quarterly Review' and the 'North British Review.' In 1853 his uncle Thomas Spencer died, leaving Herbert Spencer a little over 500l. With this sum in hand, and the literary connections he had formed, he felt he could safely sever his connection with the 'Economist,' and in July of that year he brought his engagement to an end.

Increased freedom enabled Spencer to cultivate friends, already made, who lived in the country. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Potter, of Standish House, on the Cotswold Hills, and Mr. Octavius Smith, of Ardtomish in Argyllshire, where Spencer paid a long series of visits, thenceforth furnished him with his chief pleasures and holidays. A visit to Switzerland at this time, involving physical over-exertion, produced cardiac disturbances of disastrous effect hereafter. Further articles were written for reviews on diverse subjects before Spencer again gathered his energies for another book — 'The Principles of Psychology,' published in 1855. To this work Spencer gave astonishingly little preparation. He was never a large reader, and rarely read through a serious book. He had read one or two books, like Lewes's 'Biographical History of Philosophy,' which chanced to come his way ; but neither then nor afterwards did he ever read the philosophical classics ; and he was fond of relating how he had always thrown down Kant with disgust on finding he disagreed with the first two or three pages. 'The Principles of Psychology ' exhibits the results of this habit ; for it had little connection with previous psychological results, but was an independent excursion into an almost new line of inquiry. Later editions of this book formed an integral portion of Spencer's 'Philosophy,' which is described below. Naturally the sale was small. Richard Holt Hutton [q. v. Suppl. I] attacked it in an article entitled