The San Francisco call., 1903-12-09
SPENCER, AUTHOR J4ND SCIENTIST,
SINKS INTO II PAINLESS DEATH
Earns High Place
AmOng Thinkers
of UOrtd.
Continued From Page /. Column I.

cSldDllSneQ cnUfCn, Until Ic was -
years of age. when he started in the
practical study of civil engineering.
After following that profession for
some eight years, during which he con-
tr.buted sound, valuable papers TO the
Civil Engineers and Architects Jour-
nal, crash in railroad enterprises
turned his efforts in another direction.
As early as 1912 he had written for
the Nonconformist a series of letters on
The Proper Sphere of Government, I"
which attracted attention to his ability
and opened to him a career as a writer.
From 1S4S to 1858 he was engaged as
sub-editor of the Economist and during
that time published his first consider
able work, Social States, or the Con-
ditions Essential to Human Happi-
ness Developed" which foreshadowed
the political philosophy of his later
writings. During the same interval he
also contributed a number of articles
for the Leader, a weekly publication
founded by Mornton Hunt; the West
minister and other quarterlies.
In 1852 Spencer began the series Of
essays which many critics regard as
his best work The third one of them
NdsH dll IilGIlI IOI the dCNClOplll-iS
hypothesis of much force and original
ity. In 1855 he published his "Princi-
pies of Psychology" which interpreted
the general principles of evolution. In
1857 in an essay entitled 'sProgress-Its
Law and Cause" which appeared in
the Westminster Review, he main
tanned for the first time that evolution
was universal process, which conrlc-
ton is said to have taken such a deep
root in his mind as sto be the turning
point in his career. When, in 1858, he
planned his Synthetic Philosophy"
evolution was made the keynote of the
work. CThis was four years before
Darwin's "Origin of Species" ap-
peared.) In it was incorporated the
psychology of 1855, and when. in 1885,
after thirty-six years of labor, the
work was finished, that was the idea
that made it, more than anything else.
a monument to his powers as an orig
1nal and constructive thinker.
Spencer's health broke down in the
latter part of 1856 and for a year and
q half his pen was idle, though his
brain was not. When he recovered, he
spent good part of his time in writ
ing various essays for quarterly re-
views. In 1860 he issued the programme
of his System of Synthetic Philos-
ophy.' which proposed to carry out in
its application to all orders of phenom-
ena the general law of evolution as set
forth in the two essays published in
1857
To the execution of this work his
subsequent life up to 1896 was mainly
devoted. The works comprising the sys-
tenn began with First Principles" /" pub
lished in 1862, which had reached its
tenth edition by the time of the COM
pletion of the series comprising the
system in 1896.
Among his other works, "The Study
Of Sociology" published in 1873. went
to the twenty-first edition in 1894, and
The Man Against the State" pub
lished in 1884, to the fourteenth edition
in 1897.
Besides his own proper work, Spen-
Ger published eight parts of the De
Sociology" arranged by him
self and compiled by Professor Duncan, |
DR.. Scheppig and Mr.. Collier This !
work was undertaken simply for the
purpose of providing himself with ma
terial for the Principles of Sociology"
but was eventually published for the !
use of others. In part VIII, published |
in 1881, the announcement was made |
that between $4,000 and $4,000 had |
been sunk in the undertaking and he |
could no longer continue it.
In 1882 Spencer paid visit to the |
United States and made notable ad- |
OF ko
IN New York on the subject Of relaxa- |
ton and rest. In 1888 he was made a |
of the French Academy |
of Moral and Political Sciences for the
section of philosophy, in the room Of
Emerson, but declined it, as he did |
other honors rendered him by societies /
ind universities, on the ground that it |
eame after the period of struggle, when
t would have been of some assistance
20 him. In 1870, however, Sir julius
Hast, the explorer. had named range |
IF mountains on the western coast of /
New Zealand after him, to which he
could not well denur
Spencer's works have been extensive
y translated all of. them into French,
nearly all into German and Russian
Ind many into Spanish and Italian
One on education, published in 1861,
which went tc the thirty-eighth edition
n English in 1898, was translated into
Bohemian, Polish, Dutch,
Danish, Swedish, Greek, Japanese and
Chinese
In 1886 Spencer became an invalid and
rom that date to 1891 published moth
ng. Then he resumed work, among
'ther things completing the Synthetic
and publishing an abridged
md revised edition or Social Statis-
les" He also prepared a revised and
edition of his Essays" in
hree volumes in 1891.
About ten years ago he went to re-
ide at Brighton, where he devoted his
ime to the revision of THE Principles
# Biology" first published in 1864
Last year he published his last book,
Facts and Comments" a collection of
i'd essays and papers on various sub
ects, and which has had wide sale.
Spencer's knowledge of literature was
lot extensive. Shakespeare and Scott
we're his favorite authors. He had
many warm friends. To those of his
T.. L. ,Ixr ,e1 1