Many Eurpeans rationalized their brutal actioms by turning to the scientific and cultural ideas of the late 19th century. King Leopold II was disgustingly cruel to the natives of the lands he conqured. In order to rationalize what he was doing to these people, he and many others turned to newfound scienfitifc movements as a way in which they could make themseleves feel better about their horrific actions. Charles Darwin’s belief in natural selection was implimented into much of the common thought during that time. He argued that “all life evolved from lower forms.” It was only natural that the strong survive, and the weak perish. People believed that it was natural that they dominate, enslave and murder another race because it was just
