Question

What was the main idea of social Darwinism, and how did it compare with the idea of individualism?

Answer 1

Social Darwinism is a social view that the development of society is based on the teachings of Charles Darwin. In this case, the human community is understood as a battlefield of existence, where the strongest subjugates the weaker according to the laws of nature. Herbert Spencer was the father of social Darwinism.

The basic principle is that the development of man and society takes place through the exclusion of weak individuals. Therefore, according to social Darwinism, poverty has a function to fill; it cleanses society of weak individuals and prevents them from passing on their bad genes. Moreover, differences in society are a natural and necessary consequence of the development of society. Restrictions on economic freedom are detrimental, as they hinder society from developing.

This theory has a clear relationship with individualism as a current of thought, since the main motto of Social Darwinism, "the survival of the fittest", in itself encourages development at the individual level to prevail over the rest of society.

Answer 2

Social Darwinism is a collection of idealism that initiated in late 1800s. Their main belief is in survival of the fittest.

The term Social Darwinism is generally used to reflect the various ways of thinking and theories that involves in the second half of around 19th century and tried it to apply the evolutionary mechanism of natural selection to human society.

The mass of those who have been signified as social Darwinists did not express themselves by such a label.