Social Darwinism | Definition, Uses, & Facts (2024)

social theory

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social Darwinism, the theory that human groups and races are subject to the same laws of natural selection as Charles Darwin perceived in plants and animals in nature. According to the theory, which was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the weak were diminished and their cultures delimited while the strong grew in power and cultural influence over the weak. Social Darwinists held that the life of humans in society was a struggle for existence ruled by “survival of the fittest,” a phrase proposed by the British philosopher and scientist Herbert Spencer.

The social Darwinists—notably Spencer and Walter Bagehot in England and William Graham Sumner in the United States—believed that the process of natural selection acting on variations in the population would result in the survival of the best competitors and in continuing improvement in the population. Societies were viewed as organisms that evolve in this manner.

More From Britannicaphilosophy of biology: Evolutionary ethics

The theory was used to support laissez-faire capitalism and political conservatism. Class stratification was justified on the basis of “natural” inequalities among individuals, for the control of property was said to be a correlate of superior and inherent moral attributes such as industriousness, temperance, and frugality. Attempts to reform society through state intervention or other means would, therefore, interfere with natural processes; unrestricted competition and defense of the status quo were in accord with biological selection. The poor were the “unfit” and should not be aided; in the struggle for existence, wealth was a sign of success. At the societal level, social Darwinism was used as a philosophical rationalization for imperialist, colonialist, and racist policies, sustaining belief in Anglo-Saxon or Aryan cultural and biological superiority.

Social Darwinism declined during the 20th century as an expanded knowledge of biological, social, and cultural phenomena undermined, rather than supported, its basic tenets.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by J.E. Luebering.

Social Darwinism | Definition, Uses, & Facts (2024)

FAQs

Social Darwinism | Definition, Uses, & Facts? ›

Social Darwinists

Social Darwinists
Social Darwinism is the study and implementation of various pseudoscientific theories and societal practices that purport to apply biological concepts of natural selection and survival of the fittest to sociology, economics and politics.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Social_Darwinism
believe in “survival of the fittest”—the idea that certain people become powerful in society because they are innately better. Social Darwinism has been used to justify imperialism, racism, eugenics and social inequality at various times over the past century and a half.

What is Social Darwinism your answer? ›

Social Darwinism is the pseudo-scientific belief that different classes of society or ethnic groups are more or less advanced than others. This perceived relationship to other classes was alleged to be a natural consequence of being more or less advanced along the evolutionary path than other groups.

What is a fact about Social Darwinism? ›

Social Darwinism can be defined as an ideology, a philosophy of history or a sociology which not only postulates an analogy between the laws of nature and the laws of society but also affirms that the laws of nature are the 'survival of the fittest,' the 'struggle for life,' and the laws of heredity and that there ...

What was Social Darwinism quizlet? ›

Social Darwinism. The belief that only the fittest survive in human political and economic struggle.

Which of the following statements about the theory of Social Darwinism is correct? ›

The correct statement is: "The theory argued that freedom required frank acceptance of inequality."

What is Darwinism short answer? ›

Darwinism is a term used to describe a theory of biological evolution developed by the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) and others, stating that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive ...

What was the main idea of Social Darwinism? ›

Social Darwinists held that the life of humans in society was a struggle for existence ruled by “survival of the fittest,” a phrase proposed by the British philosopher and scientist Herbert Spencer.

Is Social Darwinism still used today? ›

Social Darwinism declined in popularity following World War I, and its purportedly scientific claims were largely discredited by the end of World War II—partially due to its association with Nazism and due to a growing scientific consensus that eugenics and scientific racism were groundless.

Is Darwinism fact or theory? ›

Kenneth R. Miller writes, "evolution is as much a fact as anything we know in science." Ernst Mayr observed, "The basic theory of evolution has been confirmed so completely that most modern biologists consider evolution simply a fact.

What is an example of Darwinism? ›

For example, Darwin observed that a population of giant tortoises found in the Galapagos Archipelago have longer necks than those that lived on other islands with dry lowlands. These tortoises were “selected” because they could reach more leaves and access more food than those with short necks.

Which of the following best summarizes the meaning of Social Darwinism? ›

Social Darwinism is the theory that human societies follow the same process of natural selection that Charles Darwin identified in the natural world. Those members of a species best suited to their environment survive and reproduce; those least suited die.

Which of the following best explains Social Darwinism? ›

Answer. Final answer: Social Darwinism is a controversial theory, primarily associated with Herbert Spencer, that applies the concept of 'survival of the fittest' to human society, suggesting that only those most fit in terms of wealth and societal position should thrive.

Which option best describes Social Darwinism? ›

Final answer: Social Darwinism, best described by the survival and progression of the fittest individuals in society, was widely used to justify societal hierarchies and colonialist attitudes during the 19th and 20th centuries.

What is one of the major concept in Social Darwinism? ›

Social Darwinists believe in “survival of the fittest”—the idea that certain people become powerful in society because they are innately better.

What is an example of Social Darwinism? ›

Similarly, Social Darwinism was used as a justification for American imperialism in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines following the Spanish-American War, as many adherents of imperialism argued that it was the duty of white Americans to bring civilization to "backwards" peoples.

What is the difference between Darwinism and Social Darwinism? ›

Darwin's idea of “survival of the fittest” is one that is often misinterpreted. The difference between the two is that social Darwinism is the idea that we have a moral duty to keep certain types of people on the bottom and phase them out of society, claiming that it is supported by science.

What is social Darwinism in a sentence? ›

2024 An exaggerated respect for their own militaries and the widespread influence of social Darwinism encouraged a belief that war was a noble and necessary part of a nation's struggle for survival.

What is the social Darwinism in a nutshell? ›

Social Darwinism and the Ideologies

The poor are weak and considered unfit and hence, should be helped in survival because they are destined to die. The rich, who are the strongest, will survive over the poor because they have the means to do so.

Which statement best describes social darwinism? ›

The statement that best describes Social Darwinism is People compete for social stations based on their natural talents.

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