Talk:Social Effects of the Theory of Evolution

There has been great social effects of the acceptance of the Theory of evolution. H.G. Wells wrote in his work the Outline of History the following:

"The new biological science was bringing nothing constructive as yet to replace the old moral stand-bys. A real de-moralization ensued....

Man, they decided, is a social animal like the Indian hunting dog. He is much more than a dog but this they did not see. And just as in a pack it, is necessary to bully and subdue the younger and weaker for the general good, so it seemed right to them that the big dogs of the human pack should bully and subdue. Hence a new scorn for the ideas of democracy that had ruled the earlier nineteenth century, find a revived admiration for the overbearing and the cruel. [1]

Here are two portions of a essay I found:

"As anthropologist Sheila Patterson explained: “The theory of evolution . . . helped inspire Hitler in his plan to develop a “master race” and eradicate the Jews and others considered unfit to live." Darwin's Spectre: Evolutionary Biology in the Modern World observes that "through eugenics, Darwinism was a bad influence on Nazism, one of the greatest killers in world history." The Encyclopedia of the Third Reich agrees with this appraisal, explaining that social Darwinism was “the ideology behind Hitler’s policy of genocide.” In harmony with the teachings of Darwinian evolution, “German ideologists argued that the modern state, instead of devoting its energy to protecting the weak, should reject its inferior population in favor of the strong, healthy elements." Charles Darwin’s idea of evolution and natural selection was another significant factor in the rise of Fascism. The Columbia History of the World speaks about the “reawakening of Social Darwinism in the ideologies of the Fascists, expressed both by Mussolini and by Hitler.” "[2]

"Michael R. Rose, Professor of Evolutionary Biology, University of California, in his book Darwin's Spectre: Evolutionary Biology in the Modern World : "Darwinism probably contributed to the upsurge of racism in the latter part of the nineteenth century, and thus it helped foment twentieth-century racism generally . . . All things considered, Darwinism has had many regrettable, and sometimes actually vicious, effects on the social climate of the modern world." "[3]

Here are other sources:

How have evolutionary ideas contributed to racism and violence? http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/racism.asp

Stalin's Brutal Faith by Paul G. Humber, M.S. http://www.icr.org/index.php?module=articles&action=view&ID=276

Evolution: Basis for Racism! http://www.cstnews.com/Code/BasisForRacism.html

The Influence of Evolution on Nazi Race Programs by Jerry Bergman http://www.creationism.org/csshs/v08n3p24.htm

Darwinism and the Nazi race Holocaust by Jerry Bergman http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v13/i2/nazi.asp

Evolution and Modern Racism by Henry Morris, Ph.D. http://www.icr.org/article/55/

Creation/Evolution Quotes: Social http://members.iinet.net.au/~sejones/social.html

I don't agree with everything here but here is some info from a Islamic creationist:

Darwinism/Fascism/Communism http://www.harunyahya.com/evolution_specialpreface.php

By the way, I am not sure if the H.G. Wells material was transcribed right so it may take a little research to confirm it. Conservative 22:23, 9 May 2007 (EDT)

Perhaps you could get some of this stuff into the article natural selection. Auld Nick 06:31, 10 May 2007 (EDT)