Social Darwinism

Social Darwinism is a social theory which holds that Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is not only a model for the development of biological traits in a population, but can also be applied to human social institutions. Social Darwinisim was popular in the late nineteenth century to the end of World War II, although some have claimed that contemporary sociobiology could be classified as a form of Social Darwinism. Proponents of Social Darwinism often used the theory to justify laissez-faire capitalism and social inequality. Others used it to justify racism and imperialism. At its most extreme, some Social Darwinism appears to anticipate eugenics and the race doctrines of the Nazis.

Criticism

Proponents of Social Darwinism often use the theory to justify laissez-faire capitalism and social inequality. Others use it to justify racism and imperialism. At its most extreme, some pre-twentieth century Social Darwinists appear to anticipate eugenics and the race doctrines of the Nazis.

Related Topics:
Laissez-faire capitalism - Social inequality - Racism - Imperialism - Eugenics - Nazi

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In America particularly, the theory became intertwined with Calvinist (Puritan) theological traditions. Thus, application of Social Darwinist principles to explain and support social inequality and inequity, racism (especially Jim Crow laws), laisse-faire economics, and libertarian political theories, were interpreted as a reflections of God's will. Whether someone succeeded or failed (i.e., survived as one of the fittest) in any given endeavour (stock market investments; African-American able to vote in the South; etc.) was supposedly pre-ordained by God.

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Because Social Darwinism came to be associated in the public mind with racism, imperialism, eugenics, and pseudoscience, such criticisms are sometimes applied (and misapplied) to any other political or scientific theory that resembles social Darwinism. Such criticisms are often levelled, for example, at evolutionary psychology.

Related Topics:
Racism - Imperialism - Eugenics - Pseudoscience - Evolutionary psychology

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Similarly, capitalist economics, especially laissez-faire economics, is sometimes equated with Social Darwinism because it is thought by some to involve a "sink or swim" attitude toward economic activity. However, the fact that some Social Darwinists are advocates of capitalism and laissez-faire does not mean that all capitalists are Social Darwinists.

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Social Darwinist theory itself does not necessarily engender a political position: some Social Darwinists argue for the inevitability of progress, while others emphasise the potential for the degeneration of humanity, and some even attempt to enroll Social Darwinism in a reformist politics. Rather, Social Darwinism is an eclectic set of closely interrelated social theories -- much in the way that Existentialism is not one philosophy but a set of closely interrelated philosophical principles.

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