Description

First Principles is Herbert Spencer’s foundational work in his synthetic philosophy, where he unifies various domains of knowledge under evolutionary principles. He introduces the Law of Evolution, explaining how everything evolves from simplicity to complexity, and the Persistence of Force, which underpins all change. Spencer also explores the limits of human knowledge through the concept of the “Unknowable,” highlighting the boundary between scientific understanding and metaphysical speculation. This work had a major influence on 19th-century intellectual thought, particularly in applying evolutionary ideas to both the natural and social sciences.