Kansas Vs. Darwin In 1859 Charles Darwin proposed the theory of Evolution which stated that humans evolved from primates. After spending five years in southern islands, Darwin speculated that one species will eventually grow into a new species. He wrote a book called the “Origin of Species” and it was a quick sell out.
Darwinists in turn, believed biology to be destiny and that if one's ancestors were unfit their children would be as well. Much like in evolution, Spencer assumed that the unfit populations would decline overtime due to their failure to compete, however paranoia led some Americans to speed up this process, introducing eugenics. Eugenics were supposed to improve men, ridding the undesirable traits of the unfit and changing genetic structure to create more fit individuals. The Eugenics movement in America took people of color, the mentally ill or disabled, LGBTQ individuals, and other members of society deemed unfit, and conducted experimentation ranging from forced breeding, involuntary sterilization, or institutionalization on them. Although the movement was eventually stomped out, it violated thousands of
Courtney Lachney The Progressive Era Critical Thinking Activity Essay Rubric History shows how humans grew. It shows where we all originated from and how we made up our laws and such. History has brought about a lot of change. There are so many different ideals and beliefs that originated in the past. There were so many wars and killing sover things that were sometimes for the worst.
Social Darwinism is the application of Darwinism to the study of human society, specifically a theory in sociology that individual or groups achieve advantage over others as the result of genetic/biological superiority. Social Darwinism was introduced by Herbert Spencer, a british philosopher. He wrote about how certain traits certain groups of humans had made them better than other groups. He used that as a reason why the French, Spanish, and British had the right to go into “savage” countries and “take care” of the “biologically inferior”. This mentality was one of the main reason the United States went to war with
Social Darwinism and the Social Gospel Movement are contrasting systems of belief. Social Darwinism suggests that people are in the social or financial state that they deserve. This appealed to the work ethic that anyone could do well if they worked hard enough. For some, this was a source of inspiration to work hard to excel.
Cecil Rhodes was a successful business man who supported the idea of imperialism and British expansion. During the time, Charles Darwin had introduced his theory of Social Darwinism. The theory stated that the wealthy and successful people were the most likely to survive. It also said that non-European countries were on a lower scale due to the fact that they had not yet made the same scientific and technological advancements. This theory brought forth the belief that the European nations were superior to other nations who had not yet reached their height of power with the Industrial Revolution.
Social Gospel, on the other hand, could be considered more of a social movement than a theory. Social Gospel is defined as "Christian faith practiced as a call not just to personal conversion but to social reform. " This attitude is nearly the opposite of Social Darwinism when it comes to how Americans viewed themselves in relation to others of lower social status around them. Most prevalent during the late 1800s to early 1900s, Social Gospel was characterized by strong feelings of social responsibility and the idea that salvation could be achieved through service to the poor. During the late 1800s, many reformers were inspired to help the urban poor, and settlement houses began to spring up in slum neighborhoods.
Darwinism was the theory that was focused entirely on different species of animals and natural selection. Social Darwinism was the practice of natural selection on human society and the issues in it. It followed the perception that the strongest, or the elite, survive, and the weaker, will eventually be extinct. The wealthy citizens in America believed that they were superior, and therefore the stronger of the population and would flourish. They used their success as proof of this, and claimed that the poor were not successful and therefore they were inferior.
Designer babies are a more obvious form of eugenics. The parents would be choosing genes which they deem superior: green eyes, dashing good looks, and a magnificent brain. Some rare phenotypes may be more prevalent. Diversity on the human population may dwindle, thus putting humans in a tight spot if an epidemic occurs. The subtler form of eugenics with ART are is screening and terminating children who have the possibility of having a disability.
But no theories where as popular with the Nazis as Hebert Spencer’s Social Darwinism theory and Sir Francis Galton’s Eugenics theory. Social Darwinism is defined as “..study of human society, specifically a theory in sociology that
History is written by the victors, like the captains’ of the American Industrial Revolution. To defend the captains’ of industry, British biologist Thomas Huxley perverted Darwin’s theory of evolution, creating the term Social Darwinism, where he applied natural selection to social hierarchy in civil society. In the United States, the industrial boom of the late 19th century led to the creation of new social class and hierarchy: the owner-class in charge and the working-class laboring. Amid the industrial economic boom, average Americans suffered from lax labor laws and unethical business practices, carried out by the owner-class. At the end of the 19th century, the majority of Americans labored for a living.
“Where do babies come from?” Every child at one point or another will ask this classic question. Depending on the age of the child, some parents will tell the story of the stork, or if they feel it is morally wrong to lie to their child, they will just say “when two people love each other.” Sooner or later, either through mischievous friends or eventually from their parents, a child will learn the biological development of a baby. They then believe this is the only way a baby is created- simple and easy.
Social Darwinism is the result of applying Charles Darwin’s theories of evolution to human society, and one of the forefront Social Darwinists was none other than William Graham Sumner. In general, the concept of Social Darwinism has many pros such as “breeding” out weakness and disease, supporting the strong, and encouraging the development of a more advanced society. It also as many disadvantages, however, such as a smaller gene pool, hindering the weak, and controlling who gets to have children. Using the writings of both Darwin and Sumner, these pros and cons will be explored to prove that the negatives of Social Darwinism outweigh the positives. To begin, the first pro of Social Darwinism is the elimination of weakness and disease.
Eugenics is the science of using artificial selection to improve genetic features of the population. It is thought that improvement of the human race can be seen through sterilization of people who exhibit undesirable traits and selective breeding. Often called Social Darwinism, the concept was widely accepted during the time of World War I. It quickly became a taboo after World War II when Nazi Germany used it as an excuse for genocide. The thought of improving the human race by manipulating who is allowed to breed can either be appalling or compelling.
Eugenics The term eugenics was coined in 1883 by Francis Galton. He defined it as the study of “the conditions under which men of a high type are produced” and also as “the science which deals with all influences that improve the inborn qualities of a race”. However, it is not just a field of study and, could be taken as a social movement or policy as well. “Eugenics” may refer to the theory that infers hereditable intelligence and fortune which are possessed by the wealthy, successful and intelligent were made as a result of their good selective breeding, and that the lower classes would remain so because they continued to breed with other poor people from lower social classes or casts. Eugenics could be popular amongst people with a vested
