In this book, English libertarian sociologist Herbert Spencer sees a statist corruption appearing within the liberal ideological framework, and warns of what he calls "the coming slavery".

In his second chapter, Spencer focuses on the poor social class, reporting certain areas in London, and blaming the existence of poverty in these classes, and in a crude manner, its problems to the society as a whole, on the certain systems of that society in which the hard work of the young are not rewarded and tend to incline to criminality: such as the religious ones, in which, he argues, waste time reporting things which do not relate to the truth.

"The belief, not only of the socialists but also of those so-called Liberals who are diligently preparing the way for them, is that by due skill an ill-working humanity may be framed into well-working institutions.

"In this chapter, Spencer develops a picture of government as founded entirely in aggression (however much sublimated) and in attempting to exercise control almost doomed to failure because of an intrinsic inability to reckon with three facts, which Spencer holds are evident upon direct inspection: that social phenomena come from individual lives "which again have their roots in vital phenomena at large" and which are not chaotic; secondly, that this truth is clear both a priori and by comparison of social systems; thirdly, that by inspection of England's own internal historical record shows that "attempts of multitudinous kinds, made by kings and statesmen, have failed to do the good intended and have worked unexpected evils.

And yet it is thought neither by electors nor by those they elect, that there is any need for systematic study of that law-making which in bygone ages went on working the ill-being of the people when it tried to achieve their well-being."