All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What is the main idea of Social Darwinism?
Answer: Application of natural selection to human societies. Misapplied Darwin's biological theory to justify social and economic inequalities.
Flashcard 2: What term refers to the belief that human societies evolve through competition?
Answer: Social Darwinism. Ideology that applied evolutionary principles to human social structures.
Flashcard 3: Identify a key difference between Darwinism and Social Darwinism.
Answer: Darwinism is biological; Social Darwinism is sociopolitical. Darwin studied species; Social Darwinism misapplied this to human society.
Flashcard 4: What is the role of 'fitness' in natural selection?
Answer: Fitness determines survival and reproduction. Reproductive success depends on how well organisms match their environment.
Flashcard 5: What is the ultimate result of natural selection over generations?
Answer: Evolution of species. Accumulated small changes lead to new species formation over time.
Flashcard 6: How did Darwinism influence the scientific community?
Answer: It provided a unifying theory for the life sciences. Explained biological diversity and connected all living organisms through common descent.
Flashcard 7: Name a major publication by Charles Darwin.
Answer: 'On the Origin of Species'. Groundbreaking work that established the scientific basis for evolution.
Flashcard 8: Name a societal effect of Social Darwinism in the late 19th century.
Answer: Imperialism. Justified colonial domination as 'superior' nations conquering 'inferior' ones.
Flashcard 9: Which economic system is often justified by Social Darwinism?
Answer: Laissez-faire capitalism. Free-market system justified by claiming competition benefits society.
Flashcard 10: What principle is often mistakenly attributed to Darwin but coined by Spencer?
Answer: Survival of the fittest. Spencer's phrase became wrongly associated with Darwin's natural selection theory.
Flashcard 11: What is the main idea of Social Darwinism?
Answer: Application of natural selection to human societies. Misapplied Darwin's biological theory to justify social and economic inequalities.
Flashcard 12: Which economic system is often justified by Social Darwinism?
Answer: Laissez-faire capitalism. Free-market system justified by claiming competition benefits society.
Flashcard 13: What is the implication of Social Darwinism for social policy?
Answer: Justification for inequality. Used to argue against helping the poor or disadvantaged groups.
Flashcard 14: Name a societal effect of Social Darwinism in the late 19th century.
Answer: Imperialism. Justified colonial domination as 'superior' nations conquering 'inferior' ones.
Flashcard 15: What is a criticism of Social Darwinism?
Answer: It promotes racism and inequality. Misused scientific theory to justify discrimination and social hierarchies.
Flashcard 16: What social policy did Social Darwinism influence in Europe?
Answer: Colonial expansion. Justified European imperialism as civilized nations improving primitive societies.
Flashcard 17: How did Social Darwinism affect race relations?
Answer: Promoted racial hierarchies. Falsely claimed scientific support for white supremacy and racial rankings.
Flashcard 18: Which area did Darwin's theory of natural selection challenge?
Answer: Creationist views. Conflicted with biblical accounts of divine creation and fixed species.
Flashcard 19: Which phrase did Herbert Spencer coin to describe Darwin's concept?
Answer: Survival of the fittest. Spencer popularized this interpretation of Darwin's natural selection mechanism.
Flashcard 20: In what year was 'On the Origin of Species' published?
Answer:
- This publication introduced Darwin's theory of evolution to the world.
Flashcard 21: What concept suggests that species evolve over time due to natural selection?
Answer: Evolution. The gradual change in species over time through natural selection.
Flashcard 22: Which term refers to the process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive?
Answer: Natural selection. Mechanism where environmental pressures favor certain advantageous traits.
Flashcard 23: What effect did Darwin's theory have on religion during his time?
Answer: Challenged literal interpretations of creation. Contradicted religious doctrine of humans as specially created beings.
Flashcard 24: What was Darwin's contribution to the understanding of human origins?
Answer: Humans evolved from common ancestors with apes. Demonstrated human evolution from shared ancestry rather than special creation.
Flashcard 25: What concept did Social Darwinism erroneously promote as scientific?
Answer: Racial superiority. Falsely used evolution to justify racism and ethnic discrimination.
Flashcard 26: Who is the author of 'On the Origin of Species'?
Answer: Charles Darwin. British naturalist who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection.
Flashcard 27: What is the fundamental principle of Darwin's theory of natural selection?
Answer: Survival of the fittest. Organisms with advantageous traits survive and reproduce more successfully.
Flashcard 28: What is the primary mechanism by which evolution occurs, according to Darwin?
Answer: Natural selection. The driving force behind evolutionary change in all species.
Flashcard 29: Which ideology uses the concept of 'survival of the fittest' to justify social hierarchy?
Answer: Social Darwinism. Misapplied evolutionary concepts to defend existing social inequalities.
Flashcard 30: What controversial application did Social Darwinism support in the 19th century?
Answer: Eugenics. Pseudoscientific movement promoting selective human breeding programs.