Essays on Social Darwinism

American nationalistic Founders sought to describe and define national good that transcended prejudices and local interest. This national good would encompass merits of self-defense and wealth that were to be realized by the active participation of all Americans in a large commercial nation that could be able to defend itself in an ever changing and unpredictable world. It was only by the use of the constitutional rule of law that national interest and America’s higher purpose would be attained. This higher purpose would involve demonstrating to mankind that self-governance was feasible, and sustainable justice would be the ground ...

The economic crisis of 30s of the 20th century is the most powerful crisis with the direst consequences of a global nature. The Depression changed the relationship between the American people and their government, caused the movement from the self-regulated economy to direct regulation by the government and became a period of great reforms. In the economic ideology of that time totally dominated the doctrine of the state noninterference in the economy - "laissez faire", postulating that market forces have unlimited opportunities for self-regulation (Shlaes). Another important component was a pronounced liberal-democratic ideology based on individualism, the principle of ...

After the American Civil War of between 1861 and 1865, the United States witnessed a rapid transformation in its societies as the people shifted from an agrarian-based economy to industrialization. The development of better transport and communication infrastructures across the States paved the way for the fast and profitable transition that made up the Second Industrial Revolution during the Gilded Age. The federal government supported the developing industries by imposing high tariffs to protect the interests of industrialists from foreign competitors. Subsequently, the high taxes on imports and exports guaranteed that the local markets were favorable for both the ...

Thesis/ Argument: During the Second Industrial Revolution, industrialists recorded multiple profits at the expense of their workers and the federal government could not intervene because the laws and privileges of the country applied to both factions.

Background: The economy of the Gilded Age

The country ushered in a period of extensive trade and manufacture as the government imposed high tariffs to protect American factories from outside competition.

The westward expansion created more lands for railway construction to boost transportation.

Factory owners thrived on the given opportunities, but those without capital and access to the productive industry-based economy suffered. According to a study that the Massachusetts Bureau of Labor Statistics conducted in1881, workers hired in the textile factory of ...

THE SOCIAL DARWINISTS

Argument: Social Darwinism promoted trends of economic inequality, hierarchical societies, and the political favoritism witnessed in the United States during the Gilded Age.

BACKGROUND: The Second Industrial Revolution

Industrial based economy: While factory production expanded rapidly, mining efforts and the construction of the railroad throughout the United States transitioned the country to an era of manufacturing and trade.

High tariffs protected industries from foreign competition.

The removal of Indians in the West availed land for construction of the railway and industries. The industry-induced social problem: Hard work no longer guaranteed wealth; on the contrary, only those with business skills and money could generate more income while the rest of the people ...

In 1809, Charles Darwin was born to Mr. Robert Waring Darwin and Susannah Wedgwood in Shrewsbury England and was their second son but the fifth child. Among the family members and relatives of the Darwin household, religious convictions and the value of proper education were evident. For instance, despite the religious skepticism of some relations, the mother embraced the Unitarian religion that promoted individual experience as the determinant factor in religious beliefs, and his sister Caroline embraced traditional Christianity (Pleins 1). Meanwhile, his father was a physician and at times, Charles Darwin would accompany his father on his medical ...

The third chapter of the book “The Age of American Unreason” written by Susan Jacoby explains the preconditions and consequences of the appearance of social Darwinian theory in the end of 19th century. The recent developments such as the end of Civil War affected the rearrangement of United States of America. It is worth to mention that in general country was rising after years of poverty and depression, it was paid much attention to the level of education and its quality, and the industries were developing very fast. As a result, America got their first millionaires who were skillfully ...

Discuss some of the key ideas, people, and consequences associated with theories of evolution (focusing on Darwin).I. Intro and Background Darwin started researching on the evolution of animals and plants and was motivated by the fact that other creatures were able to survive while others could not. For this reason, competition for various elements that are specific to the growth and expansion of the population are the basis for evolution. This article will therefore try and establish the facts behind Darwin’s findings.

Malthus and competition

Malthus fronts the fact that, in every system that contains living organism, evolution in ...

Regaining Southern Power: Comparing Whites in the South after the Civil War with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s

It is common to hear people talk about the Civil War as a war that was fought to abolish slavery. It is cited as an example of American determination to bring freedom to all regardless of past wrongs. This narrative continues with the northern states-- the Union-- as the victor, and the eventual abolition of slavery. However, the American Civil War, its causes, and its eventual effects are much more complex than this narrative belies. After the American Civil War, there was a power struggle in the South; white Southerners used many tactics to regain power after the war officially ended. ...

Question 1)

According to Ede and Cormack, what was the impact of Napoleon's reign on the development of scientific and technical training in France? Napoleon's reign included a refocusing to the education of the masses, including educating women. He centralized and standardized the education system with a focus on language. Napoleon believed in women’s education, to a point. He permitted the reestablishment of the Catholic elementary schools that educated boys and girls. Napoleon’s priority was secondary education however. In this area, he saw to standards not only for students but also for teachers and the curriculum. This was in part done ...

There has always been a debate regarding technology and the actual benefits that it has for people. There is one side that believes that technology can help mankind improve the quality of life, while others believe that we are becoming slaves to technology. Each side has good points as to why they think they would be correct. This movement in technology is affecting all aspects of life. One downside is that a number of businesses are becoming obsolete and that people are being replaced by machines. People are always looking to automate things. The reason why certain machines were invented is ...

1. NATURE OF OPPOSING FORCES OF SOCIAL REFORM AND WHITE SUPREMACY (1880-1900) Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain identified the last years of the 19th century as “Gilded Age”. At this time, population grew and economy boomed in the United States. In 1890, the earnings of Americans overran those of their counterparts in other countries. This was also a time when immigrants were allowed inside United States to balance the human workforce in large industries. Around twenty two million people are said to have migrated to the U.S. between 1880 and 1914. The Gilded Age and the first ...

Conrad's approach to his story of the rationalization and justification of racist Western imperialism presents a record of this despicable time that continues echoing the long-term evil in parts of former colonial holdings in 21st century Africa. Debate continues today about Conrad's intention writing this factual-based fiction (Bloom 6), and surely, exemplifies another literary offering of how racist ideas "were the basis of colonization" (Ginio 185). This academic exercise presents discourse about "Heart of Darkness" by Conrad with an analysis of the ideology of the justification of 19th century Western racism/imperialism connected to the distortion of Darwin's theory of natural ...

On the Origin of Species

Evolution, defined as the change in the characteristics of a population that occurs over the course of generations (Belk & Maier, 2013 p. 222), had been considered by various scientists since the beginning of the 19th century. Several evolution theories were put forward attempting to explain the origins of life and the changes witnessed among different generations of organisms. The widely accepted theory then was the special creation story as described in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. In the 1859, Charles Darwin published a book called “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of ...

1890s marked a change of American perception on World Affairs. Three decades before 1890, the country was in oblivion of what went on beyond North American boarders. Citizens and the government were indifferent to world affairs. This stance would change abruptly and the country would go into wars and acquire territorial possessions. The period marked the beginning of world influence of American presidents. They began playing core roles in the world stage. This work seeks to unearth the possible reasons for such a dramatic change of stage play. It dissects the American history of the moment to reveal the reasons that ...

Introduction

The growth of the US economic status to its current state has had several landmarks. One of these was the emergence of the Robber Barons in the mid 1800s. The Robber Barons were a handful of powerful business leaders who arose in every line of business in the 1850s. These leaders dominated businesses and became dazzled their fellow businessmen. Through their personalities, talents, ambitions and tactics these business leaders ruled the economic landscape and endowed their age with many of their personal characteristics (Heilbroner & Aaron, 156). Their reign was characterized by predatory habits of feudal lords through the imposition of ...

Classical liberalism developed in the 19th century and referred to a philosophy based on the principle of limited government and freedom of individuals. Social welfare liberalism is a philosophy based on the ideals of social foundation. These two philosophies followed similar ideals and endorsed market economy, political rights, individual freedoms and liberties but differed on some issues. Social welfare liberalism tends to lean on the side of the Democrats, whereas classical liberalism leans on the conservative Republican side. Classical liberalism drew from the Adam Smith psychological understanding of individual liberty, utilitarianism and natural laws that believes in progress and leaving everyone ...

ABSTRACT

Anne Fausto-Sterling is a biologist who has written Sex/Gender for a non-scientist audience of students and faculty in the humanities and social sciences. This book addresses a wide variety of topics including infant and childhood development, genetics, gender identity, brain development and structure, sexual orientation, and the future of gender in an engaging style that neither talks down to the readers nor goes over their heads. She completely rejects and idea of eugenics, Social Darwinism or genetic or biological determinism, as well as the worn out Nature/Nurture debate in relation to human development. Instead she maintains that all living organisms are part ...

Finding common ground on questions like euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) will never be possible, given the strong religious convictions that many Christians, Jews and Muslims have always had against any form of self-destruction. For them, suicide is a sin and killing is always wrong, except of course in wartime situations or when the state has to use force in policing and maintaining order. Their views are based on the Bible or other sacred writings as well as strongly-held religious traditions and convictions, and therefore are not going to change quickly or easily. According to the U.S. Supreme Court, assisted ...

19th century has come to be renamed as the age of ideologies by historians. It marks the beginning in many aspects that are relevant and important in this century. From another perspective, it can be said to be the century of paradigm shifts that have revolutionized the world and molded the political and social organizations that are still relevant and important in the contemporary society (Freeden, 6). In the social sphere, it marks the shift towards different social organizations. The social organization impacted greatly on the mode of political organization. The whole process is marked by the French ...

Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle

Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel, The Jungle, covers numerous subjects centered on life in Chicago, focusing on the corruption and collusion rampant during those years between industries such as the meatpackers, the politicians, and criminal underground. It describes the squalid and hopeless living conditions of working-class families, especially the immigrants, the fights and failures of unions, and presents an alternative and negative view of capitalism as well as arguments for socialism. The book became a best seller but not for the reasons Sinclair hoped, its socialist message overshadowed by the graphic and sickening descriptions of working conditions in the meat ...