Social Darwinism

Beginning in 1887, social scientists were using the term "social Darwinism" to apply the survival-of-the-fittest theory to social situations, although the concepts arose in the work of Thomas Malthus and Herbert Spencer before Darwin published The Origin of Species in 1859. Under this theory, the wealthiest or most powerful in society must be biologically superior, and less "fit" persons should die, i.e. "Survival of the Fattest".

Charles Darwin himself felt that social instincts such as sympathy and moral sentiments had also evolved through natural selection, and that these resulted in the strengthening of societies, and that all races and nations deserved sympathy.

Some people began to apply the concept of survival of the fittest (a term which Darwin never used) to the racial struggles and wars that have always beset mankind. The horrific wars of the 20th century, employing shockingly brutal tactics, were encouraged by a belief in survival-of-the-fittest among humans.^{[Citation needed]} While social Darwinism itself was applied to social and economic situations rather than military ones, it is easy to see how extreme versions of social Darwinism could justify physical struggles among races.

Some socialists attacked capitalist economics, especially laissez-faire economics, by equating it to social Darwinism. The grounds for this view were that the premise of social Darwinism rests on competition for scarce goods, and that one interpretation of capitalist economics involves a sink or swim attitude towards economic activity.

However, Ludwig von Mises, an advocate of laissez-faire, argued in his book Human Action that social Darwinism contradicts the principles of liberalism.