Herbert Spencer

English philosopher and political theorist (1820–1903)
Person human Q144535
Herbert Spencer
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Herbert Spencer

Summary

Herbert Spencer is a human[1]. He was born in Derby[2]. He was born on April 27, 1820[3]. He died in Brighton[4]. He died on December 8, 1903[5]. He worked as a philosopher[6], economist[7], anthropologist[8], psychologist[9], and journalist[10]. He ranks in the top 0.66% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (3,579 views/month, #6,651 of 1,000,298).[11]

Key Facts

  • Born in Derby[2], Herbert Spencer…
  • Herbert Spencer passed away in Brighton[4].
  • Herbert Spencer was born on April 27, 1820[3].
  • Herbert Spencer was born on April 28, 1820[12].
  • Herbert Spencer died on December 8, 1903[5].
  • Herbert Spencer died on 1903[13].
  • Herbert Spencer is buried at Highgate Cemetery[14].
  • Herbert Spencer's father was William George Spencer[15].
  • Herbert Spencer held citizenship in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland[16].
  • English was Herbert Spencer's native language[17].
  • Herbert Spencer's professions included philosopher[6].
  • Herbert Spencer worked as an economist[7].
  • Herbert Spencer worked as an anthropologist[8].
  • Herbert Spencer worked as a psychologist[9].
  • Herbert Spencer worked as a journalist[10].
  • Herbert Spencer worked as a sociologist[18].
  • Herbert Spencer's field of work was botany[19].
  • Among Herbert Spencer's employers was The Economist[20].
  • A notable work attributed to Herbert Spencer is The Study of Sociology[21].
  • A notable work attributed to Herbert Spencer is Mr. Martineau on Evolution[22].
  • A notable work attributed to Herbert Spencer is Social Statics[23].
  • Herbert Spencer was a member of Academy of Sciences of Turin[24].
  • Herbert Spencer was a member of Athenaeum Club[25].
  • Herbert Spencer was a member of X Club[26].
  • Herbert Spencer was a member of Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Herbert Spencer was born in Derby[2]. Recorded date of birth include April 27, 1820[3] and April 28, 1820[12]. His father was William George Spencer[15]. English was his native language[17].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include philosopher[6], economist[7], anthropologist[8], psychologist[9], journalist[10], and sociologist[18]. Herbert Spencer's field of work was botany[19]. He was employed by The Economist[20].

Works and Contributions

Notable works include The Study of Sociology[21], a scientific work[28]; Mr. Martineau on Evolution[22], a scientific work[29]; and Social Statics[23], a literary work[30].

Personal Life

Herbert Spencer's religion is recorded as agnosticism[31].

Death and Burial

Recorded date of death include December 8, 1903[5] and 1903[13]. Herbert Spencer passed away in Brighton[4]. He is buried at Highgate Cemetery[14].

Why It Matters

Herbert Spencer ranks in the top 0.66% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (3,579 views/month, #6,651 of 1,000,298).[11] He has Wikipedia articles in 29 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[32] He is known by 9 alternative names across languages and contexts.[33]

He has been cited as an influence by Charles Darwin[34], a geologist[35], 1809–1882[36], of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland[37], awarded the Royal Medal[38], specialised in biology[39]; Henri Bergson[40], a philosopher[41], 1859–1941[42], of France[43], awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature[44], specialised in philosophy[45]; H. L. Mencken[46], a satirist[47], 1880–1956[48], of United States[49]; Ernst Mach[50], a physicist[51], 1838–1916[52], of Kingdom of Bohemia[53], awarded the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art[54], specialised in physics[55]; Émile Durkheim[56], an anthropologist[57], 1858–1917[58], of France[59], awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honour[60], specialised in sociology of religion[61]; and Bolesław Prus[62], a journalist[63], 1847–1912[64], of Poland[65], awarded the Cross of Independence with Swords[66], specialised in fiction[67].

FAQs

Where was Herbert Spencer born?

Herbert Spencer was born in Derby[2].

Where did Herbert Spencer die?

Herbert Spencer passed away in Brighton[4].

Who were Herbert Spencer's parents?

Herbert Spencer's father was William George Spencer[15].

What did Herbert Spencer do for work?

Herbert Spencer worked as philosopher[6], economist[7], anthropologist[8], psychologist[9], and journalist[10].

Who did Herbert Spencer influence?

Herbert Spencer has been cited as an influence by Charles Darwin[34], Henri Bergson[40], H. L. Mencken[46], and Ernst Mach[50].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] . Q21084082. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  2. [4] . Spencer, Herbert (DNB12). Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  3. [15] . wikidata.org.
  4. [16] . wikidata.org.
  5. [19] . wikidata.org.
  6. [17] . BnF authorities. wikidata.org.
  7. [6] . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . cs.isabart.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  8. [7] . wikidata.org.
  9. [8] . wikidata.org.
  10. [9] . wikidata.org.
  11. [10] . wikidata.org.
  12. [18] . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . cs.isabart.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  13. [20] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  14. [14] . wikidata.org.
  15. [31] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  16. [24] . www.accademiadellescienze.it. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  17. [25] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  18. [26] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  19. [27] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  20. [3] . Spencer, Herbert (DNB12). Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  21. [12] . Pedagogues and Psychologists of the World. wikidata.org.
  22. [5] . Spencer, Herbert (DNB12). Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  23. [13] . Q21084082. wikidata.org.
  24. [21] . wikidata.org.
  25. [22] . wikidata.org.
  26. [23] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [34] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [40] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [46] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [50] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [56] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [62] . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [28] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [29] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [30] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [35] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [36] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [37] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [38] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [39] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [41] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [42] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [43] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [44] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [45] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [47] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [48] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [49] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [51] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [52] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [53] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [54] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [55] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [57] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [58] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [59] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [60] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [61] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [63] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [64] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  29. [65] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  30. [66] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  31. [67] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [11] . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [32] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [33] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

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APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Herbert Spencer. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/herbert-spencer
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Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 1d ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-22 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Occupation philosopher, economist, anthropologist +6
    "/* wbremoveclaims-remove:1| */ [[Property:P106]]: [[Q864503]], [[:toollabs:quickstatements/#/batch/258356|batch #258356]]"
  2. 4d ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-18 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Occupation philosopher, economist, anthropologist +6
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/31721|batch #31721]]: import P21 and P106 from GND (17)"
  3. 11d ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-12 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Local thumb
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/30845|batch #30845]]: match CERL IDs on the basis of GND (3)"
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