Charles Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 12,1809 in Shrewsbury England and died on April 19, 1882 in the Kentish village of Downe.

Charles Darwin came from a well off family that had come out strongly from the Industrial Revolution. Through Charles Darwin’s innovations, a scientific revolution was created, he was able to take information that was blatantly clear and turn it into a new idea. Darwin was sent to school to become an Anglican clergyman due to the fact that he had no obvious talent, he then began to gravitate towards science and the scientific professors (Hesketh, 22). In this time, science was not taught so formally at these Christian Central Universities. (Ruse, 16). Darwin grew up in a time that strictly believed in the almighty God, furthermore disproving the notion that people could have been created in a way other than religiously (Cape, 27). Darwin began his science career by aiming his questions towards geology before his immense success as a biologist. Darwin had a strong devotion to the idea of climate theory which later helped in developing all the topics that he studied in the future. (Stone, 103). The most notable finding that furthermore changed Charles Darwin’s aspects on science was when he took a visit to the Galapagos Island. Upon returning from this trip Charles Darwin’s findings took a pivotal turn towards a concept of evolution (Hesketh, 17). Darwin reviewed his findings from the Galapagos island’s and came to a conclusion that the only way in which these animals could have survived was through evolving as they moved from island to island (Ruse, 21).

Darwinism and the ‘Origin of Species’ had a big impact on many different aspects of study, such as philosophy, religion and especially science. Many people throughout Darwin’s discovery had fallen victim to misconstruing the ideas and concepts that were introduced, most prevalent to religion (Ruse, 42). The theory of evolution has affected and are still very controversial within the religious communities. A notable piece work that helped in overall exemplifying some of the issues brought upon by these new scientific ideas was Inherit the Wind. This play fully encompassed the arguments in which a very religious town have with a teacher who feels as though he is given the right to talk about the theories of evolution (Stone, 67). Despite the fact that this was a fictional storyline, it fully encompasses the realities that much of the world was experiencing after Darwin’s discoveries and theories (Ruse, 55). It has been agreed that these theories would not have had as big of an impact as they did if it was not for the fact that the ideas were supported by other highly respected scientists. Many of these scientists helped in challenging the religious narratives of the development of animals, people, and the earth as a whole (Hesketh, 11). Although, the theories of evolution had lots that could be disputed against, the new ideas that came with it were enough to challenge religion and especially put the Bible under scrutiny (Stone, 39). Through Charles Darwin’s ideas of evolution, philosophy, science as a whole and the future of religion were all up for question.

 

Many reviews and opinions were made disagreeing or supporting the ‘Origin of Species’. Present day, even after the death of Charles Darwin, these same opposing views are argued (Cape, 4). The concept of natural selection was an astounding discovery due to the fact that in a time of no science and all religion, a contradictory an idea of evolution and adaptation was created and made sense to scientists. Rephrasing one of Charles Darwin’s most notorious quotes, it is not the strongest or smartest that survive, but the one who responds the best to change.

Emily Srebot

Works Cited

Cape, Jonathan. Evolution, Old & New. Eleven Gower Sreet, 1921.
Hesketh, Ian. Of Apes and Ancestors: Evolution, Christianity, and the Oxford debate. Toronto:

University of Toronto Press, 2009.
Ruse, Michael. Charles Darwin. Blackwell Publishing, 2008.
Ruse, Michael. Philosophy after Darwin: classic and contemporary readings. Princeton:

Princeton University Press, 2009.
Robert, Ryan M. Charles Darwin and the Church of Woodsworth. Oxford University Press, 2016 Stone, Irving. The Origin: A Biographical Novel of Charles Darwin. Garden City, New York:

Doubleday & Company, 1980.

Social Darwinism

Social Darwinism is a term that emerged during the later half of the eighteenth century, adapted from Charles Darwin’s ideologies that all living things are engaged in an unrelenting struggle to survive and exist. Darwin also claimed, with no basis on actual scientific proof at the time of his research that humans also subconsciously behave in this same way as animals do and that we too fight for existence. Social Darwinism is very similar to the aforementioned ideology, it states that the struggle for existence between social groups in human society results in each societal group competing to be the most capable and most fit. There were three main figures that shaped Darwinism and social Darwinism seen during the 18^th and 19^th century; Charles Darwin, Herbert Spencer, and Richard Hofstadter. Charles Darwin, who the theory is named after, was an English naturalist who founded the scientific theory that evolution is only possible through natural selection. Herbert Spencer is best known for being a leading social Darwinist of the 19^th century; he spent the majority of his life studying society and how it related to Darwin’s theory. He was also the one who coined the phrase “survival of the fittest.” Although he was such a prominent figure for social Darwinism, he never heard the term because the expression was used 41 years after his death. Richard Hofstadter had been the one to first use the term “social Darwinism” in 1944 along with the publication of his book, Social Darwinism in American Thought, which related Darwinism to society and the battle between social thought and political action. Many viewed social Darwinism as a perverted worldview that was slowly destroying humanity by encouraging human competition to the point where various forms of intolerance including; totalitarianism, racism, fascism, etc., had emerged. While Darwinist thought inspired social Darwinism, the dangers of the latter were far greater some said. The idea that only one group could come out on top as the most capable caused a lot of people of the time to use violence as a way to show there dominance over the over groups. Social Darwinism also separated the different classes into ranks, which many found limited society and created a more segregated way of life.

Jenna Henderson

 

Bibliography

Angyal, A.J. (2016). Charles Darwin. Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia,

Claeys, Gregory. “The ‘Survival of the Fittest’ and the Origins of Social Darwinism.” Journal of the History of Ideas, vol. 61, no. 2, 2000, pp. 223–240. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3654026.

Chiou, Jyh-Shen, and Lee-Yun Pan. “The Impact of Social Darwinism Perception, Status Anxiety, Perceived Trust of People, and Cultural Orientation on Consumer Ethical Beliefs.” Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 78, no. 4, 2008, pp. 487–502. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25075628.

Halliday, R. J. “Social Darwinism: A Definition.” Victorian Studies, vol. 14, no. 4, 1971, pp. 389–405. JSTOR, JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3825958.

Talbert, R.J. (2016). Herbert Spencer. Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia,