Herbert Spencer was an influential sociologist, biologist, philosopher and economist during the Victorian era. Although his work was ultimately highly respected and influential in the intellectual community, it took him years to evolve and refine his philosophies. Early in his writing career, his theories were quite radical and considered rather extreme. Eventually, as he matured and continued to study and meet other influential men of this period, his material moved toward less extreme notions and was eventually nominated for a Nobel Prize. Despite Spencer's obvious intelligence, he battled several internal demons and would eventually die alone in a state of severe mental illness. Despite his personal struggle, he is considered one of the most influential sociologists in history. Spencer was born in Derby, England on April 27, 1820. He was the eldest of nine children, although he was the only one who lived beyond infancy. Unfortunately, Spencer also suffered from serious mental and physical illnesses during his childhood and was therefore homeschooled by his father George, a teacher. Spencer's father was often described as "unconventional" and did not provide Spencer with a well-rounded education (Sweet, 2004). George Spencer focused on educating his son in the natural sciences, history and English. Also known for his radical opinions and anti-establishment and anti-clerical views, the influence of Spencer's father is easily seen in some of Spencer's earliest and most extreme writings. When Spencer was 13, he moved in with his uncle Thomas, a clergyman who was focused on a more complete education for Spencer. Thomas's influence is also visible in some of Spencer's writings, as he also influenced Spencer with middle of paper......ocww.colorado.edu/~toldy2/E64ContentFiles/SociologyAndReform/Soc alDarwinism.htmlSpencer, H (1857, April). Progress: its law and its causes. The Westminster Review, 67, 445-465. Retrieved April 1, 2011, from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/spencer-darwin.htmlSweet, W. (October 22, 2004). Spencer, Herbert. In International Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved April 28, 2011 from http://www.iep.utm.edu/spencer/Thio, A. (2009). Sociology: A Brief Introduction (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Wee, A. (October 11, 2011). Herbert Spencer (1820-1903). In The Victorian Web. Retrieved May 1, 2011 from http://www.victorianweb.org/philosophy/spencer/spencer.html Weinstein, D. (2009). Herbert Spencer. In EN Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2009 ed.). Retrieved April 28, 2011 from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/spencer/