Herbert Spencer was born in Derby, England and lived between the years 1820-1903. He was an English biologist, sociologist and philosopher and was considered a coarse social Darwinist. It was Spencer who coined the well-known expression "survival of the fittest." His social philosophy was coterminous with reaction rendering it something more than a 'biological apology for laissez-faire.' (Weinstein, 2012) He was a social evolutionist although he was never crudely social Darwinist. He is now referred to as a liberal utilitarian who delved heavily in evolutionary theory so as to explain the manner in which our liberal utilitarian sense of justice emerges. His significant contribution 'The Principles of Ethics' rested on a complicated 'evolutionary moral psychology' blending associationism, utility, intuitionism and use-inheritance. The activity that produces pleasure has the tendency to spawn "biologically inheritable associations among certain types of action, pleasurable feelings and feelings of approval." (Weinstein, 2012)

Thomas Huxley:

Huxley...
[ View Full Essay]