Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) is an English evolutionary scientist. Criticized the book education and mechanical cramming. "Education should bring practical benefits," he wrote, "to ensure the diversified development of the child's personality." From the conditions of life of a child and the influence exerted on him in childhood, it depends on which person he will grow up. Spencer spoke of the need to "develop the whole person." The author of the book "Education: mental, moral, physical" (1861). A supporter of moral education, applied the principle of natural consequences. Children in their own experience should feel what their actions lead to. Because a good act brings joy, and bad leads to trouble, a moral person strives for good deeds and avoids the bad. This approach develops internal discipline and shapes the character of the child. Spencer's pedagogical goal is to create a personality that will govern itself, not one that will be managed by others.

"Right activity is best ensured in life, when the bad and good consequences of actions are learned, and not when they are taken for granted by other people's words." G. Spencer

Believing that education plays a dual role - educational and educational, he argued that a person is formed only as a result of his practical acquaintance with the branches of science useful to him. The usefulness of science in school was evaluated by him from different points of view, and above all as an intrinsic objective value - the reliability of this branch of knowledge. Then he singled out the "semi-internal value" of learning. Thus, the study of ancient languages, from his point of view, is necessary only in order to better understand the native language. Finally, he singled out the "conventional value" of the subject: the goal of studying history, for example, is to promote the development of thinking, although this object itself has no practical significance. Therefore, when selecting the subjects of school instruction and determining the time for their study, it is necessary to take into account, first of all, their usefulness.