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The short version is that this belief states that the same basic laws that govern over the animal kingdom likewise govern society.  The theory suggests some interesting things depending on how you look at it.  On one hand any country/culture/peoples that are driven to extinction by another were no longer worthy of survival.  It also suggests that as a whole we are better off because of these actions. 
 
To accept this theory has some interesting implications.  It would mean that the near extermination of the Native American has in the long run been productive for mankind as a whole.  While I don't per se agree with this logic few people would argue that when all is said and done that America has improved the world in nearly every single field. 
 
It is something to think about.


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  • silverwhisper said on Mar 28, 2007....
    i think that social darwinism is goofy, because darwinism states that it's all about "survival of the fittest" where "fittest" means best able to adapt to the circumstances, and some societies that absolutely refuse to adapt are still going strong (fundamentalist islam).

    ed
  • SeanRenaud said on Mar 28, 2007....
    We aren't realy competing with them though.  I mean marsupials were doing just fine in Austrailia until we brought cats and pig down then it all fell to hell and pretty quick too.
  • silverwhisper said on Mar 28, 2007....
    yes, and the absence of competition is another reason why i don't buy social darwinism.

    ed
  • SeanRenaud said on Mar 28, 2007....
    Wait, why that's arguably the part that makes the most sense.  In Europe where competition is fierceist (and the US as we are part of the western world) technology and society advanced quickly.  They had to to keep from being conquered. Places like pre-colonial America were still using dated weapons, same with Africa today. 
     
    The real problem with the theory is what it implies.  It heavily implies that Africa (and most other 3 world nations) would be better off conquered.  We would bring with us civilization as the Romans did before us and the Persians did before them.  And China did pretty much on its own.
  • silverwhisper said on Mar 28, 2007....
    no, that makes no sense whatsoever, sean. competition is pretty damned fierce in most of asia, esp where the japanese are concerned. almost all of china's history consisted of wars to unify the provinces that constitute it.

    you only think that europe was where competition is fiercest because that's the history that you know, i suspect.

    ed
  • SeanRenaud said on Mar 28, 2007....
    Japan was isolated for hundreds of years.  Within decades of ending that they not only became modern and industrial but became the first non European country to beat Europeans in a war.
     
    Once again competition is relative.  All kinds of marsupials survived on Australia but where instantly out competed by placental counterparts once they arrived on the island.
     
    And CHina had damn good technology over all because of all that waring an also because of their need to govern and feed such a vast empire.
  • silverwhisper said on Mar 28, 2007....
    isolated? japan's got a long-assed-as-hell history of imperialism, which is why many other asian nations dislike them. was the bit about china supposed to have some significance? if so, i think i missed it.

    considering marsupials didn't exist anywhere but oz, it's possible that marsupials are an evolutionary dead-end.

    ed
  • SeanRenaud said on Mar 28, 2007....
    They existed in South America until N and S made contact a few million years back.
     
    That China has good technology and was united, which kinda suggested that inferior ways of thinking were weeded out
  • kelly said on Apr 14, 2007....
    You should know "social darwinism" by it's real name, socio biology.  Or, in the parlance of the academic world, so-so biology.

    The problem with socio biology is that it can be used to justify or defend any behavior.

    Oh, "placental counterparts?"  Do you mean mammals?  Marsupials apparently have some sort of rudimentary placenta.
  • SeanRenaud said on Apr 14, 2007....
    What, you start quoting biology and don't know the difference between placental mammals (which give birth to "fully" developed young capable of living outside the mother) and marsupials mammals (who give birth to undeveloped young who finish their developement in a pouch?
     
    Counterpart, would be an animal competing for a similar or identical ecological niche. 
     
    If socio biology is faulty as you hint that it is, then it shouldn't be able to justify much to logical thinkers.  And as we can view with Christianity and Islam that if you are talking about the masses then even a completely absurd idea can take root and justify anything.
  • kelly said on Apr 14, 2007....
    Sean, you did not even digest my comment.  I was simply trying to clarify if in your earlier comment you had meant mammals when you said "placental animals" since marsupials also have a type of placenta.

    And yes, socio biology, also known as social Darwinism, doesn't have much traction among the academic crowd.  That was my point.

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