Social Darwinism/Eugenics Essay Ronahy Alzagha(Period 9)
Social Darwinism is a social philosophy where people in society distorted and misinterpreted the theory of natural selection, originally suggested by Charles Darwin, and applied it to the human cultural system. Eugenics is a theory proposed by Sir Francis Galton that looked to improve the hereditary characteristics(genes), both physical and mental, of the human species. Social Darwinism and eugenics sprouted from the theories of natural selection and the survival of the fittest, and were popular and accepted among the upper middle class and the laissez-faire capitalists because were most successful and had a higher intellectual, economic, and social status than everyone else in …show more content…
Charles Darwin during his five-year scientific cruise in Latin America and the South Pacific came across many different species of animals that he collected specimens from. These specimen started to make him doubt in creationism and instead he started to think that all life gradually evolved from a common ancestral origin. These animals were in an unending struggle for survival. He started to suggest how biological evolution might have occurred through his theory of natural selection that he explained in his book titled on the Origin of Species by the Means of Natural Selection. He was influenced by the theory of Thomas Malthus that said the population is naturally growing faster than their food supplies, and he argued that chance difference among the members of species help some survive and some to die. There are variations among members of a species, that are essential for survival, are selected naturally by nature, and these variations spread through the entire species through reproduction. Basically, he argued that there are genes in certain members in the species that help them to survive. Nature is able to select the best of these traits in animals to enable them to live in a certain area in the world longer. An animal that is fast is more likely to be selected by nature to survive because they are more likely to be able to run away from their predator …show more content…
People in society such as Henry Spencer and Sir Francis Galton saw that the theory of natural selection can apply to human affairs, as well. These two ideas were popular and mostly accepted among the upper middle class and the laissez-faire capitalists because they were the richest, most successful, and intellectual people in society with the highest social statuses, which put Social Darwinism and eugenics in their
Social Darwinism is a social philosophy where people in society distorted and misinterpreted the theory of natural selection, originally suggested by Charles Darwin, and applied it to the human cultural system. Eugenics is a theory proposed by Sir Francis Galton that looked to improve the hereditary characteristics(genes), both physical and mental, of the human species. Social Darwinism and eugenics sprouted from the theories of natural selection and the survival of the fittest, and were popular and accepted among the upper middle class and the laissez-faire capitalists because were most successful and had a higher intellectual, economic, and social status than everyone else in …show more content…
Charles Darwin during his five-year scientific cruise in Latin America and the South Pacific came across many different species of animals that he collected specimens from. These specimen started to make him doubt in creationism and instead he started to think that all life gradually evolved from a common ancestral origin. These animals were in an unending struggle for survival. He started to suggest how biological evolution might have occurred through his theory of natural selection that he explained in his book titled on the Origin of Species by the Means of Natural Selection. He was influenced by the theory of Thomas Malthus that said the population is naturally growing faster than their food supplies, and he argued that chance difference among the members of species help some survive and some to die. There are variations among members of a species, that are essential for survival, are selected naturally by nature, and these variations spread through the entire species through reproduction. Basically, he argued that there are genes in certain members in the species that help them to survive. Nature is able to select the best of these traits in animals to enable them to live in a certain area in the world longer. An animal that is fast is more likely to be selected by nature to survive because they are more likely to be able to run away from their predator …show more content…
People in society such as Henry Spencer and Sir Francis Galton saw that the theory of natural selection can apply to human affairs, as well. These two ideas were popular and mostly accepted among the upper middle class and the laissez-faire capitalists because they were the richest, most successful, and intellectual people in society with the highest social statuses, which put Social Darwinism and eugenics in their