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== Social Darwinism ==

== Social Darwinism ==

Intellectual thought in the early 1900s was dominated by an embrace of "social Darwinism."  The theory of evolution was proposed by Charles Darwin in England in 1859 and was gradually promoted by atheists in schools.  It was widely rejected by scientists in the first several decades, but pressure built to replace Christianity with Darwinism at universities and schools.  The theory became more popular in England than in France, and was not widely accepted or taught in the United States in the 19th century at all.  In business, advocates of "social Darwinism" included Herbert Spencer in England and William Graham Sumner in the United States, and they felt that civilization depended on unregulated business activity so that only the fit would survive and thrive.

Intellectual thought in the early 1900s was dominated by an embrace of "social Darwinism."  The theory of evolution was proposed by Charles Darwin in England in 1859 and was gradually promoted by atheists in schools.  It was widely rejected by scientists in the first several decades, but pressure built to replace Christianity with Darwinism at universities and schools.  The theory became more popular in England than in France, and was not widely accepted or taught in the United States in the 19th century. (To this day most Americans reject the theory of evolution as it is taught in schools.<ref>"[[United States|Americans]] do not believe that humans evolved, and the vast majority says that even if they evolved, [[God]] guided the process. Just 13 percent say that God was not involved." http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml  A 2005 poll by the Louis Finkelstein Institute for Social and Religious Research found that 60% of [[United States|American]] medical doctors reject Darwinism, stating that they do not believe humans evolved through natural processes alone. http://www.discovery.org/a/2611 Nearly Two-Thirds of Doctors Skeptical of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution</ref> In business, advocates of "social Darwinism" included Herbert Spencer in England and William Graham Sumner in the United States, and they felt that civilization depended on unregulated business activity so that only the fit would survive and thrive.

Intellectuals began expanding the "survival of the fittest" theory of evolution to social issues, and advocated that the "unfit" should be eliminated from mankind just as Darwin claimed they were naturally eliminated from the animal world.  This led to the "eugenics" movement, which taught that those with the highest IQ or other advantageous traits should be favored, and those with low IQ or undesirable traits should be prevented from having children, or even eliminated themselves.  These ideas became very popular in England and Germany.

Intellectuals began expanding the "survival of the fittest" theory of evolution to social issues, and advocated that the "unfit" should be eliminated from mankind just as Darwin claimed they were naturally eliminated from the animal world.  This led to the "eugenics" movement, which taught that those with the highest IQ or other advantageous traits should be favored, and those with low IQ or undesirable traits should be prevented from having children, or even eliminated themselves.  These ideas became very popular in England and Germany.