Evolutionary philosopher, born in Derby, Derbyshire, C England, UK.
He became a civil engineer for a railway in 1837, but engaged extensively
in journalism. A firm (pre-Darwinian) believer in evolution, his main work
is the nine-volume System of Synthetic Philosophy (1862--93), which brought
together biology, psychology, sociology, and ethics. He was a leading advocate
of "Social Darwinism".