HERBERT SPENCER 33 



entirely a process of unconscious, gradual adjustment by means 

 of such phenomena as increase of population together with 

 economic pressure, conflict of groups, psychic interaction be- 

 tween individuals and the group and such super-organic products 

 as tools, language, knowledge, laws, and works of art. 1 Social 

 evolution further results from the inheritance of acquired adapta- 

 tions both biological and sociological 2 and by the natural selec- 

 tion. 3 That group will survive, grow and ultimately " possess 

 the land " that has the best family system, the most efficient 

 methods of production and distribution and the best government 



Spencer recognizes only two distinct stages of social progress, 

 the military and industrial. Compulsory co-operation is character- 

 istic of the former, voluntary co-operation of the latter. Under 

 militarism we have social progress by multiplication of homogene- 

 ous units, grouping and compound grouping with ever increasing 

 efficiency of organization and division of labor. 4 Under indus- 

 trialism little corporate activity is required 6 hence a less compli- 

 cated and centralized political organization. 6 The contrast is 

 well expressed thus: " In a society organized for militant action, 

 the individuality of each member has to be so subordinated in 

 life, liberty and property, that he is largely or completely owned 

 by the state. . . . Under the industrial regime the citizen's in- 

 dividuality, instead of being sacrificed by the society, has to be 

 defended by the society. Defence of his individuality becomes 

 the society's essential duty." 7 



When, according to Spencer, with the abolition of inter-group 

 conflict " there remains only the industrial struggle for existence, 

 the final survival and spread must be on the part of those societies 

 which produce the largest number of the best individuals, — ■ 

 individuals best adapted for life in the industrial state." 8 



With simplification and decentralization of government, how- 

 ever, comes an increase of industrial organization, yet not at the 

 expense of individual freedom as in the former case. 9 Indus trial- 



1 Sociology, i, pp. 11 ff. 2 Ibid., p. 549. 



3 Ibid., p. 652; ii, pp. 601, 268, 569 f., 610; iii, pp. 581 f. 



4 Ibid., i, pp. 466 ff.; ii, pp. 568 ff. ' Ibid., p. 607. 



6 Ibid., ii, pp. 606 f. 8 Ibid., ii, p. 610. 



6 Ibid., p. 612. 9 Ibid., pp. 613, 632. 



