Through selection, Darwin believed man could not only produce the finest of results possible but he could adapt organic beings for his own use, through the hand of Nature handing him useful variations on his competitor.
He applied this theory of natural selection specifically to people in ‘The Descent of Man’(1871), which spurred a violent controversy that still has not subsided, especially the implication that our ancestors were apelike creatures. Darwin’s greatest opposition came from those who believed that the Bible was an exact and literal statement of the origin of the world and of humans. Self-identity, Religion and it’s world view were crushed. The thought of a natural process being the abdicate? for the special creation of humankind not only strongly contradicted orthodox theological opinion but seemed to place humanity on a plane with the animals. Some believed Darwinism, especially it’s social theories, were a rejection of compassion and social responsibility.
Darwin broke with a long tradition of thought over the relationship between the self and world. The earlier view of the catastrophists, was that species were individually created and immutable for all time. Following was the idea of the earths surface undergoing constant change, the result of natural forces operating uniformly over long periods, at the same time as Lamarckism. Darwin then created his view of a non-static world in which his theory of evolution existed on it’s primary mechanism, natural selection. This was a revolutionary discovery of the Romanticism period where people had previously believed that species were the fixed and unchanging product of divine creation.Darwin also widened popular theory by exploring mans reaction to his surroundings and expression of his ideas about the world in his ‘Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872) explored mans reaction to his surroundings and expression of his ideas about the world.
Natural forces/climate:Darwin was most impressed with the effect that natural forces had on shaping the earth’s surfaces, he noted that population growth was checked by natural limitations such as famine, disease and vicious weather. However the largest contributing factor to keeping species in check was competition or as Herbert Spencer phrased it ‘Survival of the fittest,’which was the outcome of competition between social groups. ‘Only a few animals range so far, that they are destroyed exclusively by the rigour of climate’(from Origin of Species). Until then the competition will remain for the warmest/coolest spot and for the best soil nutrients, et cetera.
-Competition and social limitations such as war were the main determinant of mankind’s future. Those who win the fight for finite food supply, then survive to produce the next generation which embody favourable natural variations, passed on by heredity. Darwin saw this competition is strongest between same species because they fill almost the same spot in the economy, i.e. between two races.’
This argument of Darwin’s is present today with some social Darwinists arguing that Governments should not interfere with human competition by attempting to regulate the economy or cure social ills such as poverty. Darwin’s understanding of humankind’s stance in the world is now believed to explain the philosophical rationalism behind racism, imperialism and capitalism.
More scientific developments after Darwin’s life, genetics for example, continued to impact man’s perception of himself in his world. Also, further exploration of heredity contributed another variety of Social Darwinism in the Romantic period, the argument that biological inheritance is far more important than environment in determining character and intelligence. By the end of the 18th century most biologists had accepted that evolution occurred, although not all agreed on the mechanism of natural selection.
Darwin’s understanding and interpretation of the relationship between the self and the world is obvious in his various works, ‘The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication’(1868) and afore mentioned pieces. (Mankind bares witness to) ‘beautiful adaptations everywhere and in every part of the organic world’(from Origin of Species).Darwin is aware of how easily his theory could be misunderstood by others and their view of the world, and he was vary of our relationship to our environment. Darwin saw that although himself and people around him appeared to have an abundance of food at present, it may not always be so. Due to drought, therefore a shortage of food, therefore the creation of competition, numbers among his species may dwindle as the ‘unfit’ are weaned out. This convinced him of our lack of knowledge of the world around us and on the mutual relations of the many millions of species we share it with even thouh everything is related through families, orders and classes. Darwin saw that we were but a miniscule part of a long chain of competition and striving for perfection.
References:
Darwin, Charles. On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection, Or the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life. New York: Random House Modern Library, 1993.
Darwin, Charles. The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. Third Edition published by Oxford University Press, 1998.
Darwin, Charles. The Origin of Species and The Descent of Man. Random House Modern Library, New York, 1979
Social Darwinism:Background. Encyclopedia. 10 August 2004
<http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761579584/Social_Darwinism.html
Williams.C, George. Plan and Purpose in Nature. Weidenfeld & Nicholson, London, 1996.
Writings of Charles Darwin: The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication. 10 August 2004
http://pages.britishlibrary.net/charles.darwin/texts/variation/variation_fm1.html
