A System of Synthetic Philosophy: First Principles

London: Williams and Norgate, 1898. Cloth. Very Good. 9" by 6". Not Stated. The fifth edition of Herbert Spencer's first principles of his fascinating system of Synthetic Philosophy. The fifth edition, tenth thousand of this work in the publisher's original pebbled cloth binding, with pictorial gilt to the front board. Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) was a philosopher, psychologist, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist. He coined the expression "survival of the fittest" in Principles of Biology (1864) after reading Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859).In this first volume of his magnum opus The Synthetic Philosophy, he explains the first principles of his system of Synthetic Philosophy. Spencer saw philosophy as a combination of the fundamental principles of biology, psychology, sociology and morality, and believed that it could replace traditional religion. In this work, he argues that the "law of the multiplication of effects", due to an unknown absolute force, is the key to understanding all development, cosmic as well as biological. 14 pages of publisher's advertisements to the rear. In the publisher's original cloth binding. Externally smart, with fading to the spine, and light shelf wear to the spine and extremities. Gilt remains bright to the front board. Spine is slightly cocked. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean except for offsetting to the first few pages. Very Good