SOCIAL DARWINISM

How do classical liberals explain social circumstances?

In terms of talents and hard work - individuals make what they want, and what they can of their own lives - those with ability and a willingness to work will prosper, while the incompetent or lazy will not.

What did Samuel Smiles say about social circumstances?

‘Heaven helps those who help themselves’ - Samuel Smiles, ‘Self-Help’, 1859.

How did Darwin’s ‘The Origin of Species’ support social darwinism?

Classical liberals, like Herbert Spencer, applied the principle of ‘survival of the fittest’ - people who are suited by nature to survive rise to the top, while the less fit fall to the bottom; inequalities of wealth, social position and political power are therefore natural and inevitable, and no attempt should be made by government to interfere with them.

What did William Sumner say about social darwinism?

‘the drunkard in the gutter is where he ought to be’ - William Sumner, 1884.

How should an improvement of conditions come about?

It should come about through one’s ‘own efforts and self-reliance, rather than from law’ (Richard Cobden).