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 Middle class in English family
 Deep interest in science
 Influenced by his grandfather
Erasmus Darwin
 Entered Cambridge University
 Becomes clergyman
 The most momentous
development in Darwin’s
life.
 Left London in 1831
 Galapagos Island
 Clergy natural scientist
 Wrote long statement about his
theory
 Letter from Alfred Russel
Wallace
 Published On the Origin of
Species
 Became famous
 A belief which states that the strongest or fittest
should survive and flourish in society, while the weak
and unfit should be allowed to extinct.
 Social Darwinism was popular among
 The theory was chiefly expounded by Herbert Spencer,
whose ethical philosophies always held an elitist view
and received a boost from the application of
Darwinian ideas such as adaptation and natural
selection.
Herbert Spenser (1820-1903)
 Relied on theories of evolution
to explain differences between
the strong and the weak
“Survival of the Fittest”
“Natural Selection”
Darwin-“Biological superiority”
• European white race represented a major advance over
other “races”.
Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)
• Races of successful individuals had competed better in
the natural world evolved to higher states than the less
fit people.
Joseph Gobineau (1816-1882)
•Claimed that race is the most important “index of human potential.”
•Africans: intelligent and lazy
•Asians: smart but docile
•The Native Americas: dull and arrogant
•EUROPEANS: INTELLIGENT, NOBLE and MORALLY SUPERIOR TO OTHERS.
Racist Thinkers: identify
racial groups based on
skin color, bone
structure, nose shape,
cranial capacity and
other physical
characteristics.
Emphasizing superiority
of Europeans
Race theorists reflected
the European imperial
dominance in the world.
Targets
In Europe: Jews
In the United States: Black
people
In Sweden: misfits, deviants,
gypsies and others.
IMPACT OF SOCIAL-DARWINISM OF MODERN
SOCIETY
The Nazi Holocaust- Superiority of Aryan race.
•Killed over 5 million Jews
•Massacred at least 375,000 “inadequate” people.
U.S developed sense of superiority over Filipinos.
•Constant torture
•Using degrading words to refer to the enemies
•President McKinley attempt to “civilize” and
“Christianize” the Filipinos.
Japan-the Superiors in Asia.
•Japanese were more related to the “Aryans” by blood.
•Superior to the “Mongolians”-mostly populated in
China and Korea.
•Victory in the Russo-Japanese War An “Obligation”
to help civilize their neighbor countries.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Although Europeans appealed to their biological superiority to
justify their dominance in their colonies, they weren’t “pureblooded”. Why do you think Asians or Africans didn’t suggest
their own pure bloods to fight back the colonialism?
2. Why do you think China, the nation with the strongest
civilization with its technological advancements such as
printing skills, and paper systems, didn’t start the colonialism?
3. Analyze the picture documents relating to social darwinism.
(How Europeans justified their imperial)