Essays: Scientific, Political, & Speculative; Vol. 2 of 3 Library Edition (1891), Containing Seven Essays not before Republished, and Various other Additions.

"Essays: Scientific, Political, & Speculative; Vol. 2 of 3" by Herbert Spencer is a scholarly collection of essays written in the late 19th century. This volume delves into various topics intersecting with science, philosophy, and society, and seeks to explore the underlying principles governing these fields, including the classification of sciences, the genesis of scientific thought, and critiques of established philosophies. The opening of the volume begins with an exploration of the nature of scientific knowledge, contrasting it with everyday understanding. Spencer argues against the notion that scientific knowledge is fundamentally different or superior to ordinary knowledge, promoting the idea that both employ similar faculties of thought. He emphasizes that the evolution of science reflects an extension of common knowledge, showing that all prevision, whether scientific or mundane, is based on the relationships of events and experiences, leading to a broader comprehension of the world. Through this lens, the essay sets the stage for a deeper investigation into how empirical understanding and organized knowledge converge in the pursuit of scientific truths. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Herbert Spencer was an English polymath active as a philosopher, psychologist, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist. Spencer originated the expression "survival of the fittest", which he coined in Principles of Biology (1864) after reading Charles Darwin's 1859 book On the Origin of Species. The term strongly suggests natural selection, yet Spencer saw evolution as extending into realms of sociology and ethics, so he also supported Lamarckism.