EDITOR S PREFACE. 



THE essays contained in the present volume were 

 first published in the English periodicals chiefly the 

 Quarterly Reviews. They contain ideas of perma 

 nent interest, and display an amount of thought and 

 labor evidently much greater than is usually bestowed 

 on review articles. They were written with a view to 

 ultimate republication in an enduring form, and were 

 issued in London with several other papers, under the 

 title of &quot; Essays ; Scientific, Political, and Speculative,&quot; 

 first and second series ; the former appearing in 1857, 

 and the latter in 1863. 



The interest created in Mr. Spencer s writings by 

 the publication in this country of his valuable work on 

 &quot; Education,&quot; and by criticisms of his other works, has 

 created a demand for these discussions which can only 

 be supplied by their republication. They are now, 

 however, issued in a new form, and are more suited to 

 develop the author s purpose in their preparation ; for 



