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How did social Darwinism use evolutionary ideas to defend economic competition?
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Philosophy of biology
Detail of a Roman copy (2nd century bce) of a Greek alabaster portrait bust of Aristotle, c. 325 bce; in the collection of the Roman National Museum.
Social Darwinism applied the biological principles of natural selection and the "survival of the fittest"—a term coined by Herbert Spencer—to human society, arguing that economic competition was a natural, inevitable struggle for existence.12
Proponents of this theory, such as Spencer and William Graham Sumner, used these evolutionary ideas to defend laissez-faire capitalism in the following ways:
- Justification of Inequality: Class stratification was viewed as a reflection of "natural" inequalities. Wealth was interpreted as a sign of success and a correlate of superior moral attributes, such as industriousness and frugality, while the poor were labeled the "unfit".1
- Opposition to Intervention: Social Darwinists argued that state intervention or social reform programs interfered with natural processes. They believed that unrestricted competition was necessary to ensure the survival of the best competitors and the continued improvement of the population.12
- Societal Evolution: Societies were treated as organisms that evolve through conflict. By allowing unfettered competition, they believed society would progress toward greater complexity and efficiency.12
It is important to note that this application of evolutionary theory to human social and economic structures is considered a metaphoric extension, as Darwin’s original concept of natural selection applies specifically to hereditary variations in living organisms.3