Herbert Spencer, in fact, several books on sociology, such as, Social Statics (1850), the Study of Sociology (1873), Principles of Sociology (1876-96), but he did not give a formal definition of the discipline, According to him, the social process is unique and therefore, sociology, as a science, must explain to present situation of society by explaining initial stages of evolution and applying to them the laws of evolution. Spencer mainly tried to establish a comparative science of society based on evolutionary principles.
Herbert Spencer was influence by Comte. Spencer has taken the idea of science of sociology from Augusta Comte during his lifetime according to his critics and therefore he was indebted to Comte. But Spencer denied such allegations and affirmed that he had not read Comte.
Like Comte, Spencer believed that science of society were characterised by an order of coexistence and progress. In this sense, Spencer observed that in individual and social organism “progress from low types to high types is progress from uniformity of structure to mulitiformity of structures”. Spencer had divided all phenomena in the universe into three-categories-inorganic, organic, and super organic (Social) based on evolutionary framework. This social science, i.e, sociology, according to Spencer, is based on the super organic, i.e., social evolution.
Herbert Spencer discussed on the possibility of a science of sociology in The Study of Sociology (1873) and accepted that sociology is true science based on the positive principles of natural phenomena. “There can be no complete acceptance of sociology as a science”, wrote Spencer on the possibility of a science of sociology, “so long as the belief in a social order not conforming to natural law, survives” Here, Spencer emphasised on the belief in the social order that has to be discussed on the basis of all other natural laws. Social laws, he insisted, are like all other natural laws. In this way, he maintained that causation operates in human behaviour just as it does in other spheres of nature.
Spencer, also accepted the role of history in the new science, sociology. He argues, “the only history that is of practical value, is what may be called Descriptive Sociology. And the highest office which the historian can discharge, is that of so narrating the lives of nations, as to furnish materials for a comparative sociology; and for the subsequent determination of the ultimate laws to which social phenomena conform.” History. Then, according to Spencer, is essentially sociology it done well Sociology, therefore, is a careful description of social phenomena in evolution. And so the historian and the sociologist can work together in the analysis of the origin, present structure, and future prognoses of social evolution.
In fact, all phenomena have a tendency to improve and advance and at this juncture historian and sociologist have greater role to play in the observation, description, and comparison of the nature of social phenomena in evolutionary change. “The seeds of civilisation existing in the aboriginal man and distributed over the earth were certain in the lapse of time to fall here and there into circumstances fit for their development.” It seems, according to Spencer’s analysis, that sociology is deeply rooted in the historical analysis of the process of social evolution and hence social evolution is the key to understand sociology.