Essay On Social Darwinism

One of the key reasons for the general mistreatment of one ethnic group by a larger, more powerful one is that the underrepresented group is seen by the latter as standing in the way of political, social, or economic development. These are all key factors as the mainstream culture attempts to assimilate the lesser and encourage them to “progress” while they refuse to do so. Their refusal causes indignation on the part of the mainstream public, leading to unfortunate social crises. However, the most devastating effects tend to happen to indigenous populations when newcomers begin to take advantage of natural resources and experience an economic boom as a result. This leads to exploitation of the land and, tragically, the people who are closest …show more content…
For example, the people of Tibet rejected Communism when China came into power and reclaimed the area as part of their sovereignty. China felt that it was their duty to push reform on the people of Tibet as well as their own people. Lewis states that “the Red Guards did their best to abolish the culture and institutions of a people whom they considered backward and disloyal” while Tibetans desperately clung to a lifestyle that they were proud to call their own (67). The fallacy of social Darwinism is often used to validate the opinion that natives are simply not keeping up with the pace of modern society, and thus should be treated as if on a lower rung of the evolutionary ladder. Some even use actual evolutionary theory, stating that indigenous people are biologically less complex than conquering settlers. They are viewed as primitive, or backwards. Lewis explains that this theory goes back to the ideas of Aristotle, which claim that “some peoples are naturally inferior to others, who therefore have a right to enslave them and to make war on them, should they refuse to submit”