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 of the fittest. Based on Darwin's basic hypothesis of adaptation in the species, social scientists established the modern version of evolutionary theory, which attempts to extend Darwin's logic and tries to analyze mental mechanisms that help us filter information from our environment and translate that into human behavior. However, the ability of evolutionary theory to explain and predict the complex of behaviors of everyday life and politics has been questioned.

Charles Darwin's “survival of the fittest” evolutionary theories were applied to politics with the advent of Darwinism.

However, some social Darwinists started to argue that governments should not interfere with human competition by attempting to regulate the economy or cure social ills such as poverty. Instead, they advocate a laissez-faire political and economic system that favors competition and self-interest in social and business affairs. Social Darwinists typically deny that they advocate [Page 612]a “law of the jungle.” But most propose arguments that justify imbalances of power among individuals, races, and nations because they consider some people more fit to survive than others.

Thus, the term social Darwinist is applied loosely to anyone who interprets human society primarily in terms of biology, struggle, competition, or natural law. Social Darwinism characterizes a variety of past and present social policies and theories, from attempts to reduce the power of government to theories exploring the biological causes of human behavior. Many people believe that the concept of social Darwinism explains the philosophical rationalization behind racism, imperialism, and capitalism. The term has negative implications for most people because they consider it a rejection of compassion and social responsibility.