The Data of Ethics

"The Data of Ethics" by Herbert Spencer is a scientific publication written in the late 19th century. This work is part of Spencer's "System of Synthetic Philosophy" and explores the principles of morality, aiming to establish ethics on a scientific basis rather than relying on supernatural concepts. The book addresses the evolution of conduct and moral standards in society, emphasizing the need for a secular approach to ethics in a changing world. The opening of the book presents the author's preface, where he outlines his intentions and the conceptual framework for the content that will follow. Spencer expresses his concern about the moral challenges arising from the decline of traditional ethical systems and emphasizes the requirement for a new, empirically-based understanding of ethics. He introduces key themes such as the relationship between individual actions and societal consequences, the concept of conduct as a dynamic whole, and the need for ethics to evolve alongside human society. Spencer indicates that his analysis will involve examining conduct at large, evolving conduct through the ages, and the importance of understanding these concepts to create a robust ethical framework. (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.