Spencer’s Social Darwinism theory says that humans in a civic society struggle for existence just like the animals in their natural environment. He believed that if the principles of evolution are allowed to operate freely, all living organisms (even the human beings) will approximate perfection.
Alexander Bain (1818-1903) was a psychologist, who founded the journal known as ‘MIND’ in January, 1876. The journal was about psychology and written in English language. He wrote two textbooks regarding psychology – The Senses and the Intellect (written in 1855) and Emotions and the Will (written in 1859). Bain was one of the earliest writers in the English Language to write about topics regarding psychology.
Herbert Spencer and Alexander Bain are best known for the Spencer-Bain principle. Spencer accepted Bain’s observations and ideas (regarding psychology) within the context of evolution. Spencer asserted that a person behaves in such a manner, which is conductive of survival, that is, a person conducts behavior, which causes him pleasant feelings. Similarly, he abstains from behaviors, which cause him painful feelings.
The above-written concept states that the frequency or probability of a behavior varies with the experience that follows, that is, the probability of behavior increases, if it is followed by a pleasurable event and decreases, if it is followed by a painful event. This idea is known as the Spencer-Bain principle.