Herbert Spencer

[Terrance F. Flaherty]

This principle of preservation, or the survival of the fittest, I have called
natural Selection. It leads to the improvement of each creature in relation to
its organic and inorganic conditions of life; and consequently, in most cases,
to what must be regarded as an advance in organization.

-The Origin of Species-

Paul Mackin wrote:

> On Mon, 28 Dec 1998, Spencer Thiel wrote:
>
> > I believe that he was actually the coiner of the phrase "survival of the
> > fittest", usually credited to Darwin and now totally assosciated with
> > Darwin.  What's that called again?
>
> Sounds right to me. Was Darwin, in calling the process "natural
> selection," less sure that the survivors would be the "fittest" or the
> "best?"
>
>                 P.