After developing his own theories of evolution, and then reading Origin of the Species, English sociologist and philosopher Herbert Spencer suggests that natural selection can be applied to the development of human societies. He coins the phrase "survival of the fittest" to argue that competition is "natural," and that those who "succeed" in out-competing others in a laissez-faire capitalist system are helping the species to advance. Spencer's writing will provide a central foundation for social Darwinism.