Comparative-Historical Method of Spencer

Spencer adopted what has become known as the comparative-historical technique in his work. In other words, he primarily engaged in the comparative study of the many phases of civilizations across time and the varied types of modern communities. In his research, he sought support (or, presumably, lack of support) for beliefs derived deductively from his most general viewpoint. He was interested in constructing empirical generalizations based on his comparative, particularly evolutionary, investigations.