Page 17 - The Disasters Darwinism Brought To Humanity

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A A S H O R T H I S T O R Y O F D A R W I N I S M 17
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rialist philosophy. Because up until the 19 century the great majority of
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men of science looked at science as a method of learning and discovering
what God had created. Because this belief was widespread, atheist and
materialist philosophies were unable to find suitable ground in which to
develop. But by denying the existence of a Creator and forming an illuso-
ry support for atheist and materialist belief, the theory of evolution was a
wonderful opportunity for them. For this reason they both identified with
Darwinism and adapted the theory to their own ideologies.
Beside Darwinism's denial of the existence of God, another claim
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emerged to support 19 century materialistic ideologies: "The develop-
ment of living creatures is linked to the struggle for life in nature. This
struggle goes to the strongest. The weak are condemned to defeat and
extinction."
Darwinism's co-operation with ideologies which have brought pain
and disaster to the world is clearly revealed in this point.
Social Darwinism: The Adaptation of the Law
of the Jungle to Human Behaviour
One of the most important claims of the theory of evolution is its bas-
ing the development of living creatures on the "fight for survival" in
nature. According to Darwin, in nature there is a pitiless fight for survival,
an eternal conflict. The strong always overcome the weak, and this makes
development possible. The subtitle of the book The Origin of Species
summed up this point of view. "The Origin of Species by Means of Natural

Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life".
The source of Darwin's inspiration on this matter was the English
economist Thomas Malthus's book An Essay on the Principle of Population.
This book indicated that a rather dark future awaited mankind. Malthus
had calculated that left to itself, the human population would increase at
enormous speed. The numbers would double every 25 years. However,
food supplies would in no way increase at the same rate. In this event,
mankind faced the permanent danger of starvation. The forces keeping