Darwin's Theory Of Natural Selection In Nineteenth Century European Society

Cultural attitudes greatly fueled national competition. For example, Rudyard Kipling's poem "The White Man's Burden" showed the superiority of the white Europeans towards the Africans (Document F: Rudyard Kipling, "The White Man's Burden," 1899). This superiority shown illustrates the need Europeans felt to help the Africans and improve their conditions. Also, John Ruskin mentioned in a lecture that England need to teach their future African colonists (Document B: John Ruskin, lecture at Oxford University, February 8, 1870). This shows that the Europeans believed that colonization could be a way to educate the Africans, thus imperialism. These cultural attitudes were the roots of

The 19th century was one of the most revolutionized eras in the history of the world. It is in this time period that the power shift was on a constant stir; empires falling, empires rising, and important discoveries that would change the world forever. Many Significant theories and belief systems were established, as well as the rise of some of the potent people in history. One person that is remembered for his work and celebrated for his theories is English biologist and scientist Charles Darwin. He is the sole theorists who conjured up the idea of human evolution, commonly known today as “Darwinism”. In effort to ensure this is recognized this paper continues on into the life of Charles Darwin, his story, his achievements,

Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection, a scientific theory that supported the belief of evolution, was manipulated and applied to different areas of life, and thus it became the shaping force in European thought in the last half of the nineteenth century. Darwin, through observation of organisms, determined that a system of natural selection controlled the evolution of species. He found that the organisms that were most fit and assimilated to the environment would survive. They would also reproduce so that over time they would eventually dominate in numbers over the organisms with weaker characteristics. This new theory was radical and interesting to the scientific world but its effects reach far beyond this small institution of

As American businesses began to flourish in the late 1800s, two different kinds of philosophies emerged. One would be for the benefit of everyone, while the other would be for the benefit of the individual.

Kipling refers to the “White Man’s Burden” as the moral obligation of white people to help other races. This is due to their own ideas that they were superior to other races.

It was believed by some that the white man held the burden to bring its dominion, architecture, language, beliefs, government, politics, and civilization to others to release them of their primitive prisons. Rudyard Kipling writes a poem called, “The White Man’s Burden”, in which he addresses this sole responsibility of the Europeans. Kipling states how no matter what the savages send against Europe’s invasion, they will lose to the ultimate goal of civilization. It is white man’s duty to bring law and order to the world, and Kipling wastes no time stressing

Ferry justifies this by stating, “that European nations acquaint themselves with generosity, with grandeur, and with sincerity of this superior civilizing duty” (Ferry, para. 4). He is directly implying that these uncivilized nations are filled with savage people whom are completely incapable of governing themselves. Rudyard Kipling, another advocate of imperialism, also claims that these savage and barbarian like people need the guidance of a civilized nation. In his poem titled, “The White Man’s Burden,” Kipling calls these foreigners, “sullen peoples, half-devil and half-child” (Kipling, para. 1). Kipling goes on to express that even though these people will protest and not be grateful, it is still the duty of the white man to educate, govern, feed, and protect these lesser people. Unlike Ferry and Beveridge, Kipling understands that the white man will receive nothing for all of his effort and good deeds. “By open speech and simple, an hundred times made plain to seek another’s profit, and work another’s gain” (Kipling, para. 2). What Kipling means by this is that the white man, the superior race, will not receive the benefits of new markets or cheap labor. He conveys the idea that by bringing food, medicine, education, and Christianity to these underdeveloped peoples, the white man is living up to

Charles Darwin is many times seen as radical and brash. The theories that Darwin proposed were enough to change the face of religion, social culture and history as we know it. What many fail to understand is: it took Darwin twenty years to perfect his Theory of Natural Selection before he would publish On the Origin of Species. He had seen firsthand what could happen if haste, rather than reason was applied to the unveiling of his findings. Darwin made further observations of the species over the course of that twenty-year span, all the time observing not only the species that he was studying, but the changes in society as well. His observations were not made in order to create social commentary, but rather to ensure that the presentation of his research would be best received. As he watched his contemporaries present their knowledge to a very theatrical 19th century Europe, he consulted with professionals of every field in order to ensure that his theories would be well received and that they would stand the test of time. He would be known to Europe not as a

The popular poem, titled “The White Man’s Burden”, by Rudyard Kipling, showed his feeling towards colonization, which also reflected most Western citizens’ thoughts too. To him and to others, many non-Europeans were viewed as “half-devil, half-child”, and that the white man’s job was to “Fill full the mouth of Famine, And bid the sickness cease” (Kipling). In the poem, although he writes about the hardships that the white man has to go through in order to colonize the savage nations, he starts off every stanza with the line “take up the white man’s burden”, meaning no matter how difficult or how frustrating the job may be, it is the white man’s duty to teach the savages how to be civilized. This belief and moral justification allowed Europeans to believe that what they were doing was right and that it had to be

There’s no way a new idea or a technique simply occurs if it’s destined to become something very important or sustainable in our society. Great ideas stem from hard work and trial and error. And in order to develop new, concise, and acceptable knowledge, the information has to reach the people who will use it. Novel ideas are met with contemporary resistance because ideas cause change, which requires effort, challenges social norms, and acts as a catalyst for even more change. There is a certain amount of comfort in familiarity, but excellent ideas create breakthroughs and will mostly end up improving a situation.

Europeans contained the belief that their customs and religious values were the sole method in living. Missionaries from throughout Europe desired to journey to foreign lands in order to teach the civilized and Christian ways of living to the natives. Often missionaries were in competition for converts, and thus supplied imperialism with other drives (Patterson, par. 10). The Social Darwinist ideas were prevalent in this time. The Europeans believed in the survival of the fittest, and it was generally accepted that the Anglo-Saxons were the superior race. In the 1890’s Rudyard Kipling published “Whiteman’s Burden”. This poem defines the white man as responsible for civilizing the “others”. It is supportive of the imperialism of other countries

The author claims that it is the duty or burden of the white men to civilize the non-whites and educate them. Kipling's tone in his poem "The White Man's Burden," are proud, powerful and superior. Moreover, it appears to be sullen and hopeless throughout the poem. We also think that he is making fun or criticizing all of the complaining and hopelessness that

Darwin’s theory was a ground breaking achievement within the 19th century. It went against the publics opinion that religion was the basis of human development and evolution. Due to his research, discoveries, and the development of his theory, Darwin was able to mold the foundation for modern day evolution theory. Although his research was a remarkable feat, it came with a few drawbacks, such as Darwin’s own beliefs and concepts of gender and race, as well as the bias these concepts influenced in his theory.

Darwin and Evolution are inextricably linked in the minds of most people who have had the opportunity to study them in basic biology. However, Darwin's theories of selection and survival of the fittest have been applied to moral, economic, political, and other cultural aspects of society. Dennett briefly touched on some of the political and social ramifications of Darwin's theories in the final chapter of Darwin's Dangerous Idea. Other philosophers and thinkers have also adapted Darwin's evolutionary ideas, in order to apply them in a societal or cultural context. One great example of this adaptation of the biological concept of evolution, is the appearance of Social Darwinism during the 19th century.

Social Darwinism was a sociological theory that merged Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection and the work of Herbert Spencer, Malthus, and other scientific and sociological theorists to justify imperialism, racism, and conservative economic policies. The overall acceptance of the power of nature in defining human beings developed during the 18th century Enlightenment. Europe’s exploration not only brought about immense economic and agricultural growth, but also exposed them to “human behavior and life patterns within environments and under circumstances dramatically different than their own” (4). The most popular catch phrases of Darwinism, “struggle for existence” and “survival of the fittest”, when applied to the life of man in society, suggested that nature would provide that the best competitors in a competitive situation would win, and that this process would lead to continuing improvement” (6. Hoft). This misinterpreted sense of superiority engulfed much of society at the time and was used to justify the logistics behind certain actions regarding capitalism, racism, and imperialism. Furthermore, it served as the backbone of some of the most heinous acts imaginable including the genocide and sterilization of certain groups of people.