Social Darwin And Engels

The 19th century of socialism and evolution had a profound affect on our society as a whole even in today’s time. People like Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels had an utmost impact on these theories. These theories ultimately challenged the middle class or otherwise known as the bourgeoisie directly. The bourgeoisie could argue that they were heavily exploited during this time period which Marx, Darwin and Engels impacted greatly. These three men share somewhat similar views and ideas which shaped our society but express these thoughts in very different ways through two separate theories called socialism and evolution.

Charles Darwin was a remarkably influential philosopher in the 19th century and although he did not invent the

His theory of evolution is often times referred to as Darwinism. This theory states 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, and reproduce. He also discusses natural selection, “Owing to this struggle, variations, how ever slight and from whatever cause proceeding, if of a species, in their infinitely complex relations to other organic beings and to their physical conditions of life, will tend to the preservations of such individuals, and will generally be inherited by the offspring” (267). Darwin describes natural selection as the process of living things weeding out the weak and making physical or mental changes that are more suitable for survival and producing more offspring. Natural selection can drive a certain species to become more competitive against its predators or competing with other predators for prey. This correlates directly to evolution because natural selection is the driving force for evolution. In other words, evolution is change over time and natural selection is the process through which this change occurs. Another largely discussed topic Darwin talks about is struggle for existence. As illustrated in his “On the Origin of Species”, “as more

These two men believed that capitalism would stagnate, and socialism would be put into play. There were two social classes that clashed during this time and through these political parties. They state, “Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other- bourgeoise and proletariat” (262). The bourgeoise were considered to be the middle class or the rich, white property owners whereas the proletariat were the working class. The bourgeoise held the means of production and the wealth and exploited the proletariat. This was because through a capitalist system, Marx and Engels believed that the wealth of the bourgeoise depended on the work of the proletariat. They believed that eventually, the proletariat would revolt against the bourgeoise and overthrow capitalist supporters. They also believed that too much commerce, industry and civilization could endanger the bourgeoise because as the means of production become too abundant, the bourgeoise can not control them anymore. A direct quote from The Communist Manifesto talks about this, “The weapons with which the bourgeoise felled feudalism to the ground are now turned against the bourgeoise itself” (263). The ongoing struggle between classes caused riots to break out and for unions to form within the proletariat class, ultimately leading to the bourgeoise’s defeat and