Popular Ideologies Like Social Darwinism Both Reflected

Popular ideologies like Social Darwinism both reflected and created the reality of England, Germany and the United States in the 1890's. During that time, all three nations were economic and social powerhouses, potentially poised on the edge of greatness (or teetering on the brink of destruction, given the benefit of hindsight). Social Darwinism was likely one of the most powerful ideologies of the time, and it both contributed to the reality of the great nations, and influenced the reality of the times.

During the 1890's, America, England and Germany were all economic powerhouses, as well as great centers of culture and education. All three great nations had not yet felt the effects of the Great War, which crippled the German economy and likely ultimately strengthened both British and American societies. In the 1890's, all three nations were gripped, to some extent, by the sheer possibilities the Industrial Revolution and earlier Renaissance had brought.

America was quickly blossoming as a nation in its own right, and soon to be free of the influence of the British. In turn, Germany, not yet divided into East and West by the ravages of war, was a nation with considerable economic and social potential. All three nations were highly nationalistic, and all three nations were deeply steeped in individual ideologies that both created and reflected the reality of the times.

Germany was unified for close to 30 years by the 1890's, while America became a colonial power at about the same times, as evidenced when the nation conquered the Hawaiian Islands in the 1890s (European Imperialism in the 19th Century). Social Darwinism, one of the most powerful ideologies of the 1890's, illustrates both the power of an ideology to shape a nation's reality, and the events that take place within a nation to create the birth of an ideology.

Put more succinctly, social Darwinism was both created by the reality of the 1890's, and also contributed to the reality of the times. Social Darwinism borrowed from the evolutionary theory of Charles Darwin, author of the Origin of the Species. Darwin's theory of how evolution occurred was popularily distilled down to the idea of the 'survival of the fittest', where the strongest survived and reproduced, while the weakest died off and did not reproduce (St. Marys).

The racial and social climate of the time led to a peculiar popular interpretation of Darwin's theory of the 'survival of the fittest'. America, Britain and Germany were each mired deeply in nationalistic tendencies that both "contributed towards and drew from racist thinking" (St. Marys). As such, existing racism and nationalism contributed to the formulation of Social Darwinism, while Social Darwinism helped to justify the existence of existing racism and nationalism.

Thus, the existing reality of the times, which was deeply mired in nationalism and racism, owes both much of its existence to the theory of Social Darwinism. In addition, Social Darwinism did a great deal to contribute to the existing nationalism and racism of the U.S., Britain, and Germany during the 1890's. Specifically, white Europeans began to easily justify their 'dominion' over other races in terms of the 'survival of the fittest' encapsulated within Social Darwinism.

Military and other technologies gave white Europeans power over other people, a fact that they saw as evidence of their superiority. Thus, white Europeans used Social Darwinism as a means to justify many actions taken against non-whites, who were views as 'less fit' and thus inferior (St. Marys). Thus, Social Darwinism provided both a justification and reflection of many racist attitudes prevalent in Western societies of the time.

For example, Social Darwinism 'allowed' that whites where superior to non-whites, and that Christianity was "the only true religion" (European Imperialism in the 19th Century). A harsh interpretation of Social Darwinism would suggest that the theory was simply a way in which Europeans and Americans justified existing racial beliefs. At the end of the 18th century, Social Darwinism became a popular buzzword and justification for many beliefs, including the belief that any attempt to help the poor was misguided.

As such, feeding or providing housing for the poor simply allowed them to 'transmit' their inferior characteristics to the next generation. In this and many other examples, Social Darwinism can be seen to simply reflect the existing social biases of England, the U.S. And Germany in the 1890s (Social Darwinism). The widespread belief in Social Darwinism likely reflects the effect that science had on British, German, and American culture prior to the 1890's. Science played a crucial role in developing the social and technological reality.