Spencer was an agnostic who believed that the only way to gain knowledge was through a scientific approach. He felt religion was a futile attempt to gain knowledge of the unknown. Spencer wanted to replace the
theological systems of the Middle Ages with his philosophical system which stated that all knowledge could be placed within the framework of modern science. It was through this "Scientific" knowledge that people learned to live in society(Keb, n.d.).

Spencer's life coincided with the period when Western nations were being changed by industrial modernization. Spencer sought to understand the new industrial situation by studying technological change from different perspectives. In the United Kingdom industrialization began in the 19th Century with the Industrial Revolution. Early textile mills were joined by iron and steel foundries to make England the workshop of the world. Industrialization brought about changes in British Class Structure. The upper class or privileged dominated the upper echelons of the Church of England, military and civil service. The middle class earning power was made through trade and commerce. A new class was created and consisted of miners and factory workers. Spencer a child of middle class was on the side of British Liberalism. He resented the privileged position. He was mostly a self-educated person and did not value the traditional educational setting.
Charles Darwin thesis was an important part of the intellectual context of Spencer's world and had a powerful influence on his social thinking (Gutek, 2005).

Spencer defined sociology as the study of societal evolution and believed that the ultimate goal of societal evolution is complete harmony and happiness. Spencer's theory of evolutionary change is built upon three basic principles: integration, differentiation, and definiteness. Spencer argued that homogenous phenomena are inherently unstable, which makes them subject to constant fluctuations. These fluctuations force homogeneous systems to differentiate, which results in greater multiformity. In other words, homogeneous systems grow to become heterogeneous (Gutek, 2005).

The educational philosophy he endorsed would educate scientists, technologies, and specialists who would make their way up the ladder of society by their skills and innovation. Spencer's advocacy of scientific study anticipated the modern school curriculum. He opposed elementary education that involved memorization of textbooks and instilling religious dogma. His best known work on education was for a new scientific curriculum. Rather than relying on tradition, custom and routine he argued that there were important questions to be answered in establishing a curriculum (Gutek, 2005).

Gutek, G.L. (2005) Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education: A Biographical Introduction (4th e.d.) Boston, MA: Pearson