Social Darwinism

The application of ideas about biological competition and selection to human society, often used to justify inequality or the exclusion of people labelled weak.

The application of ideas about evolutionary competition to human society, sometimes used to justify inequality or the domination of supposedly weaker groups.

Some thinkers applied evolutionary competition to society, using it to justify inequality or domination. Such arguments are often described as social Darwinism. Huxley opposed the assumption that a process found in nature should become a rule for human conduct.

Distinguish Wells from his narrator, biological natural selection from social Darwinism, and historical facts from beliefs held in the 1890s.

Connect social Darwinism to particular language about strength, breeding and excluding the weak. Do not present it as the same thing as biological evolution.

The application of ideas about biological competition and selection to human society, often used to justify domination or the exclusion of people labelled weak.

A discredited set of ideas that applied notions of evolutionary competition to human society, often claiming that powerful classes, racial groups or empires deserved to dominate others.

Social Darwinism was different from biological natural selection. Its supporters applied ideas of competition and ‘survival of the fittest’ to classes, racial groups and empires, sometimes claiming that the powerful deserved to rule the weak. This moves from explaining survival to justifying domination.

A set of discredited ideas applying notions of evolutionary struggle to society, often claiming that the strong should prosper while the weak should lose power or be left behind.

Pseudoscientific ideas that apply a supposed struggle between stronger and weaker groups to human societies, sometimes used to justify racism and imperial domination. These ideas are not equivalent to biological natural selection.

The application of ideas about competition and survival to human society, often used to justify inequality or the exclusion of people labelled weak.

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OCR GCSE English Literature · J352

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Eduqas GCSE English Literature · C720