Social Darwinism

Definition

Social Darwinism is a theory that applies Charles Darwin's concept of natural selection to human societies. It suggests that societies and individuals evolve and progress through competition, with the "fittest" rising to positions of wealth and power.

Related terms

Natural Selection: This is a process in nature where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. It's the key mechanism behind evolution, which Social Darwinists applied to human society.

Eugenics: A movement derived from social Darwinist thinking that aimed at improving the genetic quality of the human population through selective breeding.

Survival of the Fittest: A phrase often associated with social Darwinism, it refers to the idea that only those best adapted to their environments will survive and reproduce.