Social Darwinism and racism
Social Darwinism is a social theory that emerged in the late 19th century, inspired by Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection. Proponents of this ideology argued that human societies, like biological species, are engaged in a struggle for survival, with certain races or groups deemed more "fit" to succeed than others. This belief system often supported racist ideologies, suggesting that the dominance of European powers over African and Asian peoples was a natural outcome of their perceived superiority. Social Darwinists portrayed non-European races as less evolved, reinforcing harmful stereotypes and justifying practices such as slavery and imperialism. Although Darwin himself rejected these applications of his theory, the views associated with Social Darwinism resonated with prevailing racist attitudes of the time. Beyond racial considerations, Social Darwinism also categorized individuals based on socioeconomic status, contending that the wealthy were inherently more capable of survival than the poor. While Social Darwinism has largely fallen out of favor as a coherent ideology, elements of its legacy can still be seen in contemporary discussions around genetic factors and societal inequalities.
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Social Darwinism and racism
Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory stimulated thought about the implications of biology for human society. His theory incorporated the notion of natural selection, that some species are better adapted to their environment than others and therefore are more likely to thrive in the competition for limited resources.
Later thinkers sought to apply Darwin’s theory of biological evolution to the social world. Social Darwinists asserted that human groups are locked in a competition just like the competition between species for survival. They contended that races and peoples are like organisms: some are more fit for survival than others. Hence, Social Darwinists considered conquest, imperialism, and domination of one race by another to be consistent with the laws of nature. Darwin disavowed the Social Darwinists’ extension of his theory. He was a humanist who believed that human beings are qualitatively distinct from other animals in their capacity for charitable works and compassion, a characteristic that positively counteracts natural selection. Still, the implications of Darwin’s thought, which fit with the racist assumptions of European societies, acquired a dynamic of their own.
To Social Darwinists, the conquest of African and Asian peoples in the late nineteenth century by European empires proved the superiority of the white “race.” White Europeans had supposedly reached the pinnacle of evolution, while other races remained at a more primitive stage of development. In particular, Social Darwinists portrayed Africans as childlike and appraised their mental abilities as rudimentary. They regarded Africans as close cousins of the ape rather than fully human. In the United States, this attitude justified the enslavement of Africans. Champions of slavery pointed to the civilizing influence of captivity, claiming that slaves would regress to a barbaric state if released.
It should be noted that Social Darwinists focused on other factors besides race. They characterized the poor, even of their own race or nationality, as relatively less equipped for survival than the prosperous middle and upper classes. Wealth itself suggested the fitness of the wealthy, and Social Darwinists held welfare programs and charity to be an interference with the natural law that had decreed the demise of the destitute in the interests of the race. Social Darwinist principles also became associated with the imperialist struggle between the so-called advanced nations. According to the ethos prevailing among European states in the late nineteenth century, the state that was most successful in subjugating other peoples around the world and crowding out its imperial rivals had the greatest claim to survival. In this sense, Africans suffered both directly as a consequence of the racist content of Social Darwinism and indirectly because of the resulting contest between European states over control of the African continent. Though Social Darwinism has all but disappeared as an ideology, the debate over such issues as genetic determinants of intelligence demonstrates that its legacy lives on.
Bibliography
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