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Spencer's Theory Of Social Darwinism

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Social Darwinism came to popularity in 1859 when Charles Darwin, a British naturalist, published his book called On the Origin of Species about his theory of “Darwinism”. This theory was very popular between the years 1870-1890; it spanned until the early 1900s (around 1910). Social Darwinism is any conviction or hypothesis that endeavors to clarify human culture as far as regular determination specifies the hypothesis that people, ethnic gatherings, and so on make progress or predominance as a result of inborn hereditary prevalence and a resultant upper hand. The hypothesis of Social Darwinism said that the people who were feeble were getting smaller in quantity as the more solid people developed in power. Herbert Spencer, a British philosopher and sociologist, acquired Darwin’s theory of evolution and twisted the idea around to make his idea of “survival of the fittest” connect with Darwin’s theory. Spencer said: “The wealthy and powerful were the ‘fittest,’ people endowed with innate intelligence, strength, and the adaptability that enabled them to succeed in the competitive world of business” (Visions of America). …show more content…

Businesses were also affected by this theory by ways of being the “fittest” business which could produce products faster and better for the economy and consumer. The smaller, more “lazy” businesses were not fit to join the market and would soon tumble under and lose the business. Social Darwinism had a huge negative impact on racial structures. The theory basically says that whites are on top because they were, obviously, superior over the black population of the time period. It also says that we should not, by any means, let the “inferior” blacks take over our so called

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