That Unrepentant Bigotry
“Stop the hate!” we are often told. To be sure, that is a worthy goal. Indeed, in recent decades great strides have been made throughout society in accepting most of us, as indeed, truly and clearly, “us.” For example, the worst forms of racist speech are now far beyond the pale—to the extent that the despicable N-word can no longer Read More ›
The Dark Side of Darwinism
What Hath Darwin Wrought Trailer
“What Hath Darwin Wrought?” is a TV special that investigates the shocking history of “social Darwinism” in America and Europe, including the eugenics crusade against the “unfit,” the euthanasia movement, Nazi genocide, and current efforts to devalue the lives of the handicapped. Hosted by Todd Friel, the program features Discovery Institute Senior Fellows David Berlinski, author of The Devil’s Delusion and The Deniable Darwin; John West, author of Darwin Read More ›
Was Darwin a Social Darwinist?
Like many supporters of Darwin’s theory, political theorist Larry Arnhart attempts to disassociate Charles Darwin and his scientific theory from the utopian crusades of “Social Darwinism” such as eugenics. In Darwinian Conservatism, Arnhart claims that Darwin is unfairly blamed for eugenics and that “much of what has been identified as social Darwinism… is a distortion of Darwinian science” (p. 112). Read More ›
Darwin’s Theory and Social Darwinism: There Is A Connection
Scientists and political activists during the past century have drawn on Darwinian theory to promote one utopian crusade after another, including forced sterilization, scientific racism, euthanasia, and an ever-expanding government justified in the name of the “evolving Constitution.” The typical response of Darwinists to this record of coercive “Social Darwinism” is to deny that it has any genuine connection to Read More ›
There Is No ‘Politically Correct’ Science
It’s impossible to isolate Darwinian theories from their societal consequences. Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection has been one of the most politically and culturally consequential ideas of the past 200 years. Yet many defenders of evolution do their best to downplay the connections between Charles Darwin and what might be called social Darwinism. Darwin, they insist, focused simply Read More ›
The Darwinian Basis for Eugenics
This article, published by New Oxford Review, contains an review of Discovery Institute Senior Fellow John G. West’s book Darwin Day in America: John G. West, senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, reveals here to what extent scientific materialism has become the foundation for much of American politics and culture, and how dangerous this is for democracy. The rest of the Read More ›
The Dehumanizing Impact of Modern Thought: Darwin, Marx, Nietzsche, and Their Followers
Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor who endured the horrors of Auschwitz, astutely commented on the way that modern European thought had helped prepare the way for Nazi atrocities (and his own misery). He stated, “If we present a man with a concept of man which is not true, we may well corrupt him. When we present man as an automaton Read More ›
Louisiana Confounds the Science Thought Police
To the chagrin of the science thought police, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal has signed into law an act to protect teachers who want to encourage critical thinking about hot-button science issues such as global warming, human cloning, and yes, evolution and the origin of life. Opponents allege that the Louisiana Science Education Act is “anti-science.” In reality, the opposition’s efforts Read More ›
Darwin and Hitler: In Their Own Words
As David Berlinski recently noted, “the thesis that there is a connection between Darwin and Hitler is widely considered a profanation.” But striking an indignant pose — feathers in full ruffle — is not an answer to such a serious charge, especially when the words of both Darwin and Hitler speak otherwise. Those defending Darwin cannot have read his Descent of Read More ›
On Darwin to Hitler at UCSB
In his book, From Darwin to Hitler: Evolutionary Ethics, Eugenics, and Racism in Germany (2004), Richard Weikart explains the revolutionary impact Darwinism had on ethics and morality. Darwinism played a key role in the rise not only of eugenics (a movement wanting to control human reproduction to improve the human species), but also on euthanasia, infanticide, abortion, and racial extermination. Read More ›