Herbert Spencer: Legacies explores and assesses the impact of the ideas and work of the great Victorian polymath Herbert Spencer across a wide range of disciplines. In the course of the essays a significant re-evaluation of his influence on Victorian and Edwardian thought is provided. Spencer's contribution to the fields of sociology, anthropology, psychology, biology and ecology are considered, alongside his influence on key figures in science and philosophy.

The book brings together scholars from a wide range of disciplines to explore Spencer's nuanced and complex ideas and will be invaluable for historians of science and ideas, and all those interested in the intellectual culture of the late Victorian and Edwardian period.

Contributors: Peter J. Bowler, James Elwick, Mark Francis, Bernard Lightman, Chris Renwick, Vanessa L. Ryan, John Skorupski, Michael W. Taylor, Stephen Tomlinson, and Jonathan H. Turner

Herbert Spencer: Legacies explores the impact of the work of the great Victorian polymath Herbert Spencer across a wide range of disciplines. The book brings together scholars from a wide range of disciplines to explore Spencer's complex ideas, and will be invaluable to all those interested in the intellectual culture of the late Victorian and Edwardian period.

A CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title, 2015 'The contributions in this essential addition to scholarly collections are insightful critiques of Spencer's thought, influence, and connections to the contemporary world. ... Each author introduces a different aspect of Spencer's thought, puts it into late-19th-through early-20th-century context, identifies its contemporary influence, and suggests its ongoing relevance. Spencer scholars will find things with which to quibble, but overall this is the best and most comprehensive consideration of Spencer's place and influence in the broad history of ideas since 1900. Summing Up: Essential.' - C. R. Versen, CHOICE