Expert: Walter Hintz - 2/23/2006

Question
Hi expert, I'm sorry to ask a half historical question. I'm recently doing a project on darwinsim. But I'm quite having trouble with comprehending what darwinism is and social darwinsim is. How did this theory of evolution got people mad? Who followed darwinsim or social darwinsim?

Answer
Social Darwinism is a theory that evolutionary theory can explain political and ethical thought. Racism for example.
 Evolution (often stated as Darwinisn) is a biological concept that explains variation amomg living organisms and how these changes came about.  It does not speak to ethics.
 Those who "get mad" at evolutionary theory do so because they feel that it threatens religious dogma.
 Almost all scientists today follow Evolutionary theory as the evidence for it is overwhelming.
I am a biologist and not a sociologist so I do not know much about social darwinism but if you Google it you can find out about more.