In the late 19th Century a term called Social Darwinism was established to describe the idea that humans, like plants and animals, compete in a struggle for existence. Social Darwinists base their beliefs on theories of evolution developed by British scientist and naturalist Charles Darwin. Darwin also created "The Survival of the Fittest," meaning that the strong will survive and the weak will perish. Some social darwinists deny that they approve of the theory that …
showed first 75 words of 445 total

showed last 75 words of 445 total
…was very popular at the beginning of the 20th Century. It quickly lost popularity after World War I. During the 1920's and 1930's, many observers blamed it for contributing to German militarism and the rise of Nazism. Anthropologists began shifting away from biology and on to culture that questioned Darwin's theories. Today, many critics believe that Social Darwinism justifies poverty and warfare. This criticism has led to a decline in the influence of Social Darwinism.