Darwinism
By: Andrew • Essay • 445 Words • November 27, 2009 • 927 Views
Essay title: Darwinism
In the late 19th Century a term called Social Darwinism was established to describe the idea that humans, like plants and animals, compete in a struggle for existence. Social Darwinists base their beliefs on theories of evolution developed by British scientist and naturalist Charles Darwin. Darwin also created The Survival of the Fittest, meaning that the strong will survive and the weak will perish. Some social darwinists deny that they approve of the theory that the strongest will survive, but many of their arguments justify imbalances of power because they consider some people more fit to survive than others. Social Darwinism is a variety of social policies and theories from reducing the power of government to exploring the biological causes of human behavior. Many social darwinists opposed government aid to the poor, laws against child labor, and free public education. Many darwinists did not want government to restrict competition in any way. They believed in the policy called laissez-faire, which means that the government should leave business alone. Darwin believed that human society is constantly changing. He also believed that competition between humans is normal and natural, which produces a better society and a better human being. There were many problems with the laissez-faire theory. Without some government control, businesses would have the freedom to exploit natural resources, use cutthroat competition, cheat customers and abuse labor. Social Darwinism accounts for the difference between the rich and the poor. It is said to be a Welfare for the Rich, meaning that it helps the rich get richer and the poor stay poor. I think that Social