10. Social Darwinism (and Star Wars) | THUNK
Channel: THUNK
Date: 2014-01-16

What do robber barons in the 19th century have in common with Anakin Skywalker? More than you might think! This week, we take a look at one of the most reviled social/political philosophies through the lens of one of my most loved franchises, Star Wars.

-Links for the Curious-

A great (biased) summary of social Darwinism - http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Social_Darwinism

One of the psychological reasons that social Darwinism is so hard to get rid of, the "just world fallacy" - http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/06/07/the-just-world-fallacy/

One of the foundational texts of social Darwinism, Herbert Spencer's "Progress: Its Law and Cause" - http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/spencer-darwin.asp

A New York Times article on studies examining the primary causes of success - http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/business/of-luck-and-success-economic-view.html?_r=0

Warren Buffett gives a typical no-nonsense analysis of his success - http://pragcap.com/warren-buffett-on-the-role-of-luck

All pictures are care of Wikipedia Commons. Thanks to my crack team of script-writing helpers for this one, you made it suck a lot less than it would have otherwise.