Download Social Darwinism - AP European History

Charles Darwin
and His
Origin of Species
Darwin’s Background
Library of Congress, Prints and
Photographs Division [reproduction
number, e.g., LC-USZ61-104].
• Born in England, 1809
• Studied Medicine at
Edinburgh University
• Transferred to Cambridge
University
• Studied to be a Minister
• Married 1st cousin & had 10
children
Darwin’s Expedition - 1831
• Hired as Naturalist on H.M.S. Beagle
• Sailed on Five Year Scientific
Expedition
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Down East Coast of South America
Up Pacific Coast to Galapagos Islands
Made Stops on Mainland and Islands
Observed Variety of Life and
Habitats
Darwin’s Work
• Outlined Theory in his Book in 1859:
– On the Origin of Species by Means of
Natural Selection
• Published Other Works on Biology
• Darwin received several scientific
awards, but was never knighted.
• When he died in April 1882, however,
he was buried in Westminster Abbey
in London.
Summary of Origin of Species
• Proposed Evolution Resulting from
Natural Selection:
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Organisms Produce Many Offspring
Competition for Food, Territory, Mates, etc.
Those With Best Traits Survive
Organisms Change Over Many Generations
• Time Frame: Millions of Years
Darwin’s Support for His Theory
• Characteristics of Organisms
Coincide With Habitats
• Changes Produced by Breeding of
Organisms
• Similarities of Various Organisms
(apes and humans)
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution through Natural
Selection
Organisms change in time, usually very slowly (sometimes
extremely slowly), or evolve. Darwin wrote of “descent
with modification” but the modern term is “evolution.”
All organisms – animals, plants, fungi, all organisms – are
descended from a remote common ancestor.
The main (but not only) driving force for evolutionary
change is natural selection, the survival of certain traits
because they better adapt the organism for its survival.
Natural selection doesn’t just select against inferior
organisms, it selects for superior organisms and leads to
even more superior organisms.
Scientists’ Initial Reactions to
Darwin’s Work
• A Compilation of Assertions and
Hypotheses
• Unsupported by Scientific Testing
• Contains Assumptions that Cannot Be
Supported
• Violates the Principles of Cause and
Effect
• Illogical Conclusions
So Why Was It Eventually
Accepted?
• It Passed Rigorous Scientific Testing?
– No, His Hypotheses Are Not Testable
• A Mechanism to Produce New Traits
Discovered?
– Mutations Result in Lost Genetic Information
Ultimately, Acceptance Depended On
One Factor:
Willingness to Accept a Naturalistic
Explanation
Social Darwinism
• Principles of Social Darwinism
•
Darwin’s theory of biological
evolution: the best-adapted survive
• Social Darwinism, or social evolution,
based on Darwin’s theory
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Economists use Social Darwinism
to justify doctrine of laissez faire
• A New Definition of Success
– Idea of survival, success of the most
capable appeals to wealthy
– Notion of individual responsibility in line
with Protestant ethic
– See riches as sign of God’s favor; poor
must be lazy, inferior
• Social Darwinists were blatantly racist.
• They applied theory of natural selection to
societies & groups.
• Ideas of racial superiority associated with Social
Darwinism gave Europeans the conviction that
natural laws destined them to lead “the civilizing
mission.”
– “The white man’s burden” – introducing
civilization to the “inferior” races of the world.
• Using terms such as “survival of the fittest,”
social Darwinists insisted that nations and races
were engaged in a struggle for survival in which
only the fittest survive and deserve to win.