Social Darwinist ideas

Definition

Social Darwinist ideas are the belief that society and human progress can be explained through the principles of natural selection and survival of the fittest. These ideas were applied to human societies, suggesting that some groups were more biologically fit and superior than others.

Related terms

Eugenics: The study or belief in improving the genetic quality of the human population through selective breeding or other means.

Manifest Destiny: The 19th-century belief that it was America's destiny to expand its territory across North America.

Nationalism: A strong sense of pride and loyalty towards one's own country, often accompanied by a desire for expansion and dominance over other nations.