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From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
[13 June 1853]
Source of text:
Univ. of London Library
Summary:

Thanks HS for his 'highly interesting' paper on the 'Universal Postulate,' which will appear in the Westminster Review.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
11 Mar [1856]
Source of text:
DAR 147: 484a
Summary:

Thanks for copy of HS’s Principles of psychology [1855].

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
25 Nov [1858]
Source of text:
University of London, Senate House Library (MS.791/41)
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.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
[16 January 1859]
Source of text:
RS:HS 16.485 (C: 23.253)
Summary:

Thanks HS for sending [see HS's 1859-1-10] HS's Essays and his 'Recent Astronomy and the Nebular Hypothesis.' Regarding the latter, points out a geometrical error, expresses reservations about HS's and Auguste Comte's views of the nebular hypothesis, and argues against HS's theory of sunspot structure. Agrees with HS's idea that some nebulae may be nearer than commonly thought.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
12 January [1860]
Source of text:
RS:HS 16.484 (C: 23.294)
Summary:

[Responding to HS's 1859-12-31,] JH presents additional problems in the nebular hypothesis, critiques in detail HS's views of the distribution of cometary orbits, and argues against HS's theory of sunspot formation.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
2 Feb [1860]
Source of text:
University of London, Senate House Library (MS.791/47)
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.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
23 [Feb 1860]
Source of text:
University of London, Senate House Library (MS. 791/51)
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.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
[9 March 1864]
Source of text:
RS:HS 16.494 (C: 24.35)
Summary:

In response to HS's query [1864-3-1] about the influence of Auguste Comte on English scientists, JH refers HS to JH's 1845 B.A.A.S. presidential address. States that calculating the motion of a projectile through a resisting medium is extremely difficult.

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
From:
John Tyndall
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
Wednesday
Source of text:
145.791/334, University of London
Summary:

No summary available.

Contributor:
Tyndall Project
From:
Sir John Herschel
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
[17 March 1866]
Source of text:
Univ. of London Library (CC: RS:HS 16.489 & C: 23.298)
Summary:

Will subscribe to HS's work as requested [see HS's 1860-3-5], but dissents 'from very large portions' of HS's views. Especially objects to HS's adoption of the 'Shibboleth of the Hegel & Schelling School of German Philosophy—"the Absolute."' [This letter misdated; correct date: 1860-3-17.]

Contributor:
John Herschel Project
Text Online
From:
Alfred Russel Wallace
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
26 October 1867
Source of text:
  • British Library, The: BL Add. 46434 ff. 351-354
  • Marchant, J. (Ed.). (1916). In: Alfred Russel Wallace; Letters and Reminiscences. Vol. 2. London & New York: Cassell & Co. [pp. 25-27]
Summary:

No summary available.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
9 Dec [1867]
Source of text:
DAR 147: 485a
Summary:

Thanks for copy of HS’s First principles [? 2d ed. (1867)].

Comments on HS’s Principles of biology [1864, 1867].

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
10 June [1872]
Source of text:
University of London, Senate House Library (MS791/80)
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."

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
21 Aug [1873]
Source of text:
University of London, Senate House Library (MS.791/322)
Summary:

Thanks for copy of HS’s Descriptive sociology [1873].

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
31 Oct [1873]
Source of text:
DAR 147: 486
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.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
Alfred Russel Wallace
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
13 November 1873
Source of text:
Senate House Library, University of London: MS 791/89
Summary:

No summary available.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
13 Nov 1875
Source of text:
University of London, Senate House Library (MS.791/111)
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.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
Alfred Russel Wallace
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
13 November 1875
Source of text:
Senate House Library, University of London: MS 791/112
Summary:

No summary available.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
Text Online
From:
Alfred Russel Wallace
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
2 July 1879
Source of text:
Senate House Library, University of London: MS 791/138
Summary:

No summary available.

Contributor:
Alfred Russel Wallace Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Herbert Spencer
Date:
[after 22 Sept 1881]
Source of text:
DAR 202: 122v
Summary:

Although he agrees with the object of HS’s league he will not join until he has seen how it works.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project