Darwinism and American Society PDF

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Darwinism and american society...

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Amber Blankenship HIS-144 June 26, 2020 Dr. Smith Darwinism and American Society Darwinism is the theory of evolution of species by natural section founded by Charles Darwin. Social Darwinism is the theory that human groups and races are subject to the same laws of natural selection like Charles Darwin perceived in plants and animals in nature (Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2019). This theory was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in which the weak and their cultures were diminished while the strong grew in power and had influence over the weak (Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2019). British philosopher and scientist Herbert Spencer viewed the life of humans in society and their existence as “survival of the fittest” (Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2019). Lastly, Eugenics is the philosophy and social movement that argued it was possible to improve the human race by encouraging reproduction by people who were wealthy and had desirable traits, while discouraging reproduction by people who were poor and had undesirable traits (Personal Genetics Education Project, n.d.). Essentially this method is what was used to carry out Social Darwinism. In this essay, the role of Darwinism in American will be discussed along with an explanation of how Darwinism was used to classify some people as inferior and justify actions against them, how Social Darwinism and Eugenics shaped the immigrant experience in America, and why Fundamentalist Christians opposed Darwinism. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection did not get noticed by Americans until the end of the 19th century, and many Christian authors and speakers began to

protest against Darwinism as a threat to biblical truth and public morality (Masci, 2019). The reason being is that Darwinism was often used to justify political, social, and economic views. Social Darwinism was a racially charged theory that affected how people treated others depending on race and culture. The government used Social Darwinism as a way to justify laws that had been wrongfully enacted against certain immigrant populations, African Americans, Indians, and women to keep them categorized beneath everyone else (Khan Academy, n.d.). This resulted in them not being allowed to vote or the right to own property. Essentially, if a person was a wealthy white American they were given their Fundamental rights, whereas those who were not wealthy, white, or American struggled and did not have the same rights as those above them. Many political theorists that believed in the Social Darwinism theory argued against the government programs that sent aid to the poor, as they believed that poverty was the result of natural inferiority, which should be bred out of the human population (Khan Academy, n.d.). Social Darwinism and Eugenics had a negative impact on the immigrant experience in America because it made it harder for immigrants with certain racial and ethnic background to migrate to America. The higher class Americans viewed the new immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe, that came during the Second Industrial Revolution, unworthy of one’s respect and believed they were less evolved than immigrants from England, Ireland, or Germany (Khan Academy, n.d.). The Eugenics movement in the 19th and 20th centuries sought to improve the health and intelligence of the human race by sterilizing individuals that seemed unfit (Khan Academy, n.d.). The Eugenic sterilizations targeted women, minorities, and immigrants which continued in the United States until the 1970’s (Khan Academy, n.d.). Social Darwinism and Eugenics lost popularity in the U.S. during and after World War II due to their association with

Nazi racial propaganda and modern scientists completely discredited the theory of Social Darwinism (Khan Academy, n.d.). Fundamentalist Christians opposed Darwinism because his theory questioned everything the bible taught and how God created all living things. Darwin’s theory implied that humans were outcomes of random mutations and not the creation of God’s image. Christian teachings were constantly being challenged and as a result Christian Fundamentalists wanted to put an end to Darwin’s theory of evolution in which they created laws that banned his theory from being taught. This led to the “Scopes Monkey Trial” that occurred in 1925 where a teacher was found guilty and fined for breaking Tennessee’s law that prohibited the teaching of evolution (Schultz, 2016). This trial was an important event for the Fundamentalist Christians because it helped bring awareness to the issue of teaching evolution. In conclusion, Social Darwinism took Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection and applied it to society which resulted in standards that deemed wealthy white male Americans to be superior over women, immigrants, African Americans, and Indians. Laws were created to help keep these wealthy men superior which made it nearly impossible for everyone else (women, immigrants, etc.) to become successful; the laws were made to keep them poor. Eugenics was introduced to bred only those who were successful in hopes to create a superior race, and to sterilize those who weren’t. Darwin’s theory influenced many people’s beliefs and it is still believed in today’s society which has become embedded in our history.

Reference Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2019). Social Darwinism. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-Darwinism Khan Academy. (n.d.). Social Darwinism in the Gilded Age. Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/the-gilded-age/gilded-age/a/socialdarwinism-in-the-gilded-age Masci, D. (2019). Darwin in America. Retrieved from https://www.pewforum.org/essay/darwinin-america/ Personal Genetics Education Project. (n.d.). What is eugenics. Retrieved from https://pged.org/history-eugenics-and-genetics/ Schultz, K. (2016). HIST 4 (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth....