Herbert Spencer(1820-1903)is regarded as one of the most influential social theorists of the Victorian period.This book places his famous argument for political individualism in his The Man versus the State alongside his early The Proper Sphere of Covenmment,out of which after due gestation emerged not only The Man versus the State but also Social Statics and his all-embracing theory of evolution.Both are valuable as unyielding statements of anti-state political theory and as sources of perceptiove comments on political events of the times An introduction sets them in their context and examines their main themes,The book will be of interest to both undergraduates and specialists in politics,political theory,social policy sociology and history.

在政治理论领域，“剑桥政治思想史原著系列”作为主要的学生教科丛书，如今已牢固确立了其地位。本丛书旨在使学生能够获得从古希腊到20世纪初期西方政治思想史方面所有最为重要的原著。它囊括了所有著名的经典原著，但与此同时，它又扩展了传统的评价尺度，以便能够纳入范围广泛、不那么出名的作品。而在此之前，这些作品中有许多从未有过现代英文版本可资利用。只要可能，所选原著都会以完整而不删节的形式出版，其中的译作则是专门为本丛书的目的而安排。每一本书都有一个评论性的导言，加上历史年表、生平梗概、进一步阅读指南，以及必要的词汇表和原文注解。

本丛书的最终目的是，为西方政治思想的整个发展脉络提供一个清晰的轮廓。

Introduction

Principal events in Spencer s life

Bibliographical note

Editor s note

The Proper Sphere of Government

The Man versus The State

Preface

The New Toryism

The Coming Slavery

The Great Political Superstition

Postscript

Appendix:Spencer s article of 1836 on the Poor Law

Index