Social Darwinism in American ThoughtSocial Darwinism in American Thought portrays the overall influence of Darwin on American social theory and the notable battle waged among thinkers over the implications of evolutionary theory for social thought and political action. Theorists such as Herbert Spencer and William Graham Sumner adopted the idea of the struggle for existence as justification for the evils as well as the benefits of laissez-faire modern industrial society. Others such as William James and John Dewey argued that human planning was needed to direct social development and improve upon the natural order. Hofstadter's classic study of the ramifications of Darwinism is a major analysis of the social philosophies that animated intellectual movements of the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era. |
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User Review - Scapegoats - LibraryThingDarwinism caused a serious stir in Europe but took a while to get traction in the United States. Part of the reason was Origin of the Species was published just before the American Civil War. After ... Read full review
Contents
AUTHORS INTRODUCTION | 3 |
THE COMING OF DARWINISM | 13 |
THE VOGUE OF SPENCER | 31 |
WILLIAM GRAHAM SUMNER SOCIAL DARWINIST | 51 |
CRITIC | 67 |
EVOLUTION ETHICS AND SOCIETY | 85 |
THE DISSENTERS | 105 |
7 THE CURRENT OF PRAGMATISM | 123 |
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Common terms and phrases
American thought Anglo-Saxon animal argument Atlantic Monthly believed biological century chap Charles Chauncey Wright Christian civilization classical economics competition conception conservative cosmic criticism culture Darwinian democracy Dewey's doctrine economic economists ence environment Essays ethical eugenics evolution evolutionary fact fittest George Henry Herbert Spencer heredity Hofstadter's human Ibid ideal ideas individual industrial influence intellectual interest John Dewey John Fiske Journal labor laissez laissez-faire Lester Ward Malthus ment mind moral movement natural selection North American Review Origin of Species passim Peirce philosophy Political Economy Popular Science Monthly pragmatism progress psychology race racial reform religion Richard Hofstadter scientific Social Classes Owe social Darwinism social Darwinists social science social theory social thought socialist society Spencerian struggle for existence survival Swados thinkers tion traditional United University Veblen Ward's William Graham Sumner William James writings wrote York Youmans
Bibliographic information
| Title | Social Darwinism in American Thought |
| Author | Richard Hofstadter |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Beacon Press, 1944 |
| ISBN | 0807055034, 9780807055038 |
| Length | 248 pages |
| Subjects | › History / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |