Was Hitler a Darwinian? [electronic resource] : Disputed Questions in the History of Evolutionary Theory
Richards, Robert J.
In tracing the history of Darwin's accomplishment and the trajectory of evolutionary theory during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, most scholars agree that Darwin introduced blind mechanism into biology, thus banishing moral values from the understanding of nature. According to the standard interpretation, the principle of survival of the fittest has rendered human behavior, including moral behavior, ultimately selfish. Few doubt that Darwinian theory, especially as construed by the master's German disciple, Ernst Haeckel, inspired Hitler and led to Nazi atrocities.Description based upon print version of record.
Contents; 1. Introduction; 2. Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection and Its Moral Purpose; Appendix 1: The Logic of Darwin's Long Argument; Appendix 2: The Historical Ontology and Location of Scientific Theories; 3. Darwin's Principle of Divergence: Why Fodor Was Almost Right; 4. Darwin's Romantic Quest: Mind, Morals, and Emotions; Appendix: Assessment of Darwin's Moral Theory; 5. The Relation of Spencer's Evolutionary Theory to Darwin's; 6. Ernst Haeckel's Scientific and Artistic Struggles; 7. Haeckel's Embryos: Fraud Not Proven
8. The Linguistic Creation of Man: August Schleicher and the Missing Link in Darwinian Theory9. Was Hitler a Darwinian?; Acknowledgments; Bibliography; Index
In tracing the history of Darwin's accomplishment and the trajectory of evolutionary theory during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, most scholars agree that Darwin introduced blind mechanism into biology, thus banishing moral values from the understanding of nature. According to the standard interpretation, the principle of survival of the fittest has rendered human behavior, including moral behavior, ultimately selfish. Few doubt that Darwinian theory, especially as construed by the master's German disciple, Ernst Haeckel, inspired Hitler and led to Nazi atrocities.Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description based on print version record.
Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882
Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882 -- Ethics.
Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882.
Evolution (Biology) -- History.
Human evolution -- Moral and ethical aspects.
Evolution (Biology)
Human evolution
Biology
Health & Biological Sciences
Evolution