Darwinism

CHARLES DARWIN (1809–1882) laid the foundation of a theory that sheds light on the “problem of adaptation” in the animals and plants by means of “natural selection.” Tooby and Leda Cosmides have elaborated on Darwin's initial thought, which led to the whole new perspective, known as Darwinism, that extends Darwin's biological hypothesis to explain social behavior. Thus, a biological theory, which came into prominence by providing explanation of the human anatomical features and basic survival behaviors, became equally useful for understanding social behaviors as well. This innovation led to a new term, social Darwinism, which was coined in the late 19th century to describe the idea that humans, like animals and plants, compete in a struggle for existence in which natural selection results in survival ...