Social Darwinism Today
Social Darwinism as a theory was a means for the upper classes in early 20th
century America to justify their success at the expense of other “lower “classes. Its ideas are prevalent in many different aspects of the culture, from the practice of scientific
racism, to the idea of manifest destiny. It also contributed to American imperialism and the colonization of other territories, such as the Philippines, their presence in the Caribbean, and the annexation of Hawaii. Perhaps the most tragic aspect of the survival of the fittest mentality, was the eugenics movement, and the effect it had on the people who were subjected to its
practice. The seeds of the Nazi eugenics practices were sewn in our policies in
the early part of the 20th century as thousands of people were sterilized due to various
deficiencies or abnormalities.
Today, we see aspects of survival of the fittest still in our society, though it is no longer called by name. Inner city living conditions and access to public education are severely inferior to those found in suburban areas, where property taxes and housing is designed to keep a certain element out. These conditions foster a vicious cycle of poverty and a lack of education that is difficult to break. It leads to high crime rates and high incidences of incarceration among those who are less fortunate. The gap between the haves and have not's continues to widen as employment opportunities become more scarce, and education opportunities become more expensive. These conditions cater to those people who have the means to succeed. The world we live in is still an example of survival of the fittest, there are just different words being used to describe it.
century America to justify their success at the expense of other “lower “classes. Its ideas are prevalent in many different aspects of the culture, from the practice of scientific
racism, to the idea of manifest destiny. It also contributed to American imperialism and the colonization of other territories, such as the Philippines, their presence in the Caribbean, and the annexation of Hawaii. Perhaps the most tragic aspect of the survival of the fittest mentality, was the eugenics movement, and the effect it had on the people who were subjected to its
practice. The seeds of the Nazi eugenics practices were sewn in our policies in
the early part of the 20th century as thousands of people were sterilized due to various
deficiencies or abnormalities.
Today, we see aspects of survival of the fittest still in our society, though it is no longer called by name. Inner city living conditions and access to public education are severely inferior to those found in suburban areas, where property taxes and housing is designed to keep a certain element out. These conditions foster a vicious cycle of poverty and a lack of education that is difficult to break. It leads to high crime rates and high incidences of incarceration among those who are less fortunate. The gap between the haves and have not's continues to widen as employment opportunities become more scarce, and education opportunities become more expensive. These conditions cater to those people who have the means to succeed. The world we live in is still an example of survival of the fittest, there are just different words being used to describe it.