Social Darwinism And Racism

Joseph Gabel says that Social Darwinism gave rise to racism. Here the necessary explanations. Yes, with the help of social Darwinism Darwin's ideas have increased in the nineteenth century racist ideas. It is tempting to imagine the white race the most advanced branch of humanity. But racism, including its theoretical formulations existed before Darwin, and many racists hostile to Darwin and the theory of evolution (considering it an avatar of the theory of progress). Conversely, not all Social Darwinists were racists. Social Darwinism is different from the racism of their elitism. It is not related considerations, whereas strictly white racist logic must feel closer to the street sweeper, if he - his race than to the Chinese - the Nobel Prize.

Here comes immediately to mind the names of your de Lapouge and his German counterpart Otto Ammon. But the chief theoretician of the struggle between the races was a Pole Ludwig Gumplowicz. His ideas and the ideas of German sociologist Gustave Rattsenhofera popularized in the United States Albion Small. For Gumplowicz struggle is the original and inevitable relations between different racial groups, and the state - a political tool, created by the victorious race to ensure their domination over the vanquished.

In light of all this it is clear that is not easy to give a definition of a racist ideology. Most definitions raises serious questions and too many exceptions. Definition of racism in terms of ideology should be applicable in all cases. However, a careful study of racist writings reveals only one constant is: faith in the inequality of human races, which is a logical consequence of the inequality of cultures and civilizations. Except for this racist