Final answer:
Social reformers in the Progressive Era contrasted with social Darwinists by recognizing that individual failures often resulted from circumstances beyond their control, and they advocated for reforms to help those in need.
Step-by-step explanation:
The contrasting beliefs of social reformers in the Progressive Era and social Darwinists revolve fundamentally around perspectives on human competition and societal responsibility. Social Darwinists, inspired by a misinterpretation of Darwin's evolutionary theory, believed in the concept of "survival of the fittest," a term coined by Herbert Spencer. They held the view that human advancement would be facilitated if those who were not able to compete effectively in society were not artificially assisted, thus preventing the passing on of inferior traits. On the other hand, social reformers recognized the complexity of social issues and argued that societal circumstances often contributed to individual failures, advocating for assistance and reforms to help those in need. Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is C) Social reformers recognized that people fail due to circ