WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Social Darwinists believe in “survival of the fittest”-the idea that certain people become powerful in society because they are innately better. Social Darwinism has been used to justify imperialism, racism, eugenics and social inequality at various times over the past century and a half.

Detailed explanation-2: -For instance, Social Darwinism was used by European nations to explain differences between people based on politics, economics and racial qualities. In fact, as a concept, Social Darwinism was most prevalent as a scientific theory throughout the late 1800s, during the timeframe of the Age of Imperialism (1870 to 1914).

Detailed explanation-3: -survival of the fittest, term made famous in the fifth edition (published in 1869) of On the Origin of Species by British naturalist Charles Darwin, which suggested that organisms best adjusted to their environment are the most successful in surviving and reproducing.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Principles of Biology by Herbert Spencer (1864) looked at biology in terms of themes, such as Function, Adaptation and Variation. In this book Spencer introduced the expression ‘survival of the fittest’, in the sense of ‘the most appropriate to its environment’.

Detailed explanation-5: -Since Social Darwinism reasoned that a nation’s dominance, as indicated by its greater wealth, weapons, and technology, reflected a biological superiority, it provided an explanation and rationale for Europe’s many foreign conquests.