AP Euro - 7.4 - Darwinism and Social Darwinism

Charles Darwin

Observed that species evolved based on their changing environment

Darwin’s works

• Argued in his book “On the Origin of Species” that evolution was driven by natural selection (survival of the fittest)

• Published “The Descent of Man” and suggested that humans had also evolved from lower animals

Herbert Spencer

• Argued that civilizations evolved just like organisms

• meaning that strong societies thrived

Houston Steward Chamberlain

Applied Social Darwinism to the German people

What did Chamberlain argue?

• Argued that Germans were the pure ancestors of the Aryans

• The Aryans were the true origin of Western culture

• meaning that it should fight to eliminate the influences of weaker races like Jews, Asians, and Africans