To Herbert Spencer 13 November 1875
Summary
CD cannot remember whether he was on the committee of the Jamaica affair [for prosecution of Governor Eyre in 1866] but he subscribed £10.
It is curious and amusing how positivists hate all men of science, possibly because their prophet [Comte] made laughable and gigantic blunders in predicting the course of science.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Herbert Spencer |
Date: | 13 Nov 1875 |
Classmark: | University of London, Senate House Library (MS.791/111) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10258 |
To Herbert Spencer [after 22 September 1881]
Summary
Although he agrees with the object of HS’s league he will not join until he has seen how it works.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Herbert Spencer |
Date: | [after 22 Sept 1881] |
Classmark: | DAR 202: 122v |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-13352 |
To Herbert Spencer 11 March [1856]
Summary
Thanks for copy of HS’s Principles of psychology [1855].
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Herbert Spencer |
Date: | 11 Mar [1856] |
Classmark: | DAR 147: 484a |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1841 |
To Herbert Spencer 25 November [1858]
Summary
Thanks for HS’s Essays: [scientific, political, and speculative, vol. 1 (1858)]. Admires his general argument for the development theory.
CD is preparing an abstract on change of species. He treats subject as a naturalist, not from a general point of view. Otherwise he might have quoted HS’s argument to great advantage.
CD particularly liked articles on music and style. Expression is a favourite topic with CD. Agrees all expression is biological.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Herbert Spencer |
Date: | 25 Nov [1858] |
Classmark: | University of London, Senate House Library (MS.791/41) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2373 |
To Herbert Spencer 2 February [1860]
Summary
Has prepared a historical sketch [of writers on origin of species] for foreign editions of Origin. It includes HS. He was too ill to provide it for the 1st ed.
Sorry Murray has not sent HS his copy of Origin, as he was instructed.
Huxley will put CD and E. A. Darwin down for HS’s gigantic [publishing] programme. Suggests Dr Drysdale be approached about it.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Herbert Spencer |
Date: | 2 Feb [1860] |
Classmark: | University of London, Senate House Library (MS.791/47) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2680 |
To Herbert Spencer 23 [February 1860]
Summary
HS put the case of selection strikingly and clearly in his article [Anonymous, "A theory of population, deduced from the general law of animal fertility", Westminster Rev. 57 (1852): 468–501]. Of CD’s numerous private critics only HS has rendered the philosophy fairly: his argument is an hypothesis that explains groups of facts.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Herbert Spencer |
Date: | 23 [Feb 1860] |
Classmark: | University of London, Senate House Library (MS. 791/51) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3126 |
To Herbert Spencer 9 December [1867]
Summary
Thanks for copy of HS’s First principles [? 2d ed. (1867)].
Comments on HS’s Principles of biology [1864, 1867].
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Herbert Spencer |
Date: | 9 Dec [1867] |
Classmark: | DAR 147: 485a |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-5717 |
To Herbert Spencer 10 June [1872]
Summary
Expresses his "unbounded admiration" for HS’s article on Martineau ["Mr Martineau on evolution", Contemp. Rev. 20 (1872): 141–54]
and his article on sociology [Contemp. Rev. 19 (1872): 701–18]. CD never believed in the reigning influence of great men on the world’s progress but could not have given his reasons. "Now every one with eyes to see and ears to hear . . . ought to bow their knee to you, as I for one do."
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Herbert Spencer |
Date: | 10 June [1872] |
Classmark: | University of London, Senate House Library (MS791/80) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-8380 |
To Herbert Spencer 21 August [1873]
Summary
Thanks for copy of HS’s Descriptive sociology [1873].
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Herbert Spencer |
Date: | 21 Aug [1873] |
Classmark: | University of London, Senate House Library (MS.791/322) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-9019 |
To Herbert Spencer 31 October [1873]
Summary
Discusses adaptations in flowers and their heritability.
Mentions advertisements for HS’s book [? Study of sociology (1873)].
Thought HS would have profited by principle that a character appearing late in life is inherited at same age.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Herbert Spencer |
Date: | 31 Oct [1873] |
Classmark: | DAR 147: 486 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-9119 |