Charles Darwin's Theory Of Natural Selection

Charles Darwin developed his theory of Natural Selection in his work “On the Origin of Species”, the theory of natural selection, is the idea that a large number of organisms are produced and the organisms that are best suited to survive in that particular environment live to pass the desirable traits n to their offspring while the organisms less suited to live in that pediculate environment will go extinct, hence the survival of the fittest. This has nothing to do with one individual or group being superior giving them some right to dominate over others they see as less fit. The twisting of Darwin’s theory for the personal gains of some has been done since its inception.
Enlightenment thinking, the idea that science and reason will help to
better mankind ruled the day as an approach to the world during Darwin’s time.
Darwin’s scientific approach and methods used in his research rocked the foundation of enlightenment thinking by scientifically proving and dismissing many enlightenment philosophies. Through his keen observations and reasoning abilities was able to turn society, religion, and the world upside down, requiring complete re-evaluation of humankind’s past. Even though Darwin personally abhorred human suffering, some of his contemporaries used his research in justifying colonialization and the dominance of stronger nations over weaker nations. They developed a sociological theory dubbed Social Darwinism. This was a combination of Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection. The idea that people and groups compete for success in life just as plants and animals compete to stay alive is a twisting of the spirit of the theory. This idea of “survival of the fittest” being applied to people and society can be seen in John L. O’Sullivan’s “Manifest Destiny.” O’Sullivan believed that the sheer swelling of the Union’s population was a sign of divine providence which gave the new white American population dominion over previously Mexican held
territories. O’Sullivn believed the sheer ability to overpopulate an area and spread to the next area proved the superiority of the new American Union over the Mexican government. The Union derived its strength from its population growth. Where in contract, the Nation of Japan according to Okuma, 1910, derived its strength from its commerce and industry. Though Japan’s interactions with the world and Western societies specifically they were able to change their Nation from a disunited feudal system into a true world power. In using the theory of Social Darwinism, it could be said that Japan progressing into a world power moved their nations fitness up and will enable them to survive.
The leader of an anti-colonial group Mahatma Gandhi believed in nonviolent civil obedience as a means to incite change within a system.
Gandhi believed Darwin to be saying fitness for survival is not always and for the most part, not physical strength or mental superiority that is the dictator of fitness. According to Gandhi, it may appear that aggressive, forceful individuals rise in life, when examined closer the realization is that the rise is short lived and the subsequent fall is caused by another’s force. This relates to how Gandhi may have responded to John O’Sullivan and his assentation that the sheer number of union residents and their willingness to use force was enough to declare them as superior to the Mexican population and grant the right and authority to take what will become the states of Texas and California. Gandhi would disagree with O’Sullivan and his assertion that the Unions population and territorial expansion was a divine providence. It is clear that the two would have opposing ideas as to how Social Darwinism is defined. It is interesting that this research can be interpreted in such different ways. It is more intriguing that individuals can interpret this research as an excuse to justify prejudice and foster this kind of behavior into a society. In some ways Gandhi may have responded favorably to Okuma, commending the willingness to work with other nations around the world. But Gandhi would not have responded favorably to the building of a large
military. It says a lot about human tendencies that so many individuals can interpret the meaning in Darwin’s theories about “Natural Selection”, and how all of these individuals are able to interpret this theory in such a way that it works in their favor.