Hofstadter social darwinism in american thought pdf

Of all published articles, the following were the most read within the past 12 months. Interestingly, those who advocated laissez faire darwinism in terms of labor policy sometimes advocated social control darwinism in regard to other policies such as eugenics. Download the paranoid style in american politics pdf. Richard hofstadter social darwinism in american thought. Editions of social darwinism in american thought by. University of pennsylvania press, philadelphia, 1944. The term social darwinism owes its currency and many of its connotations to richard hofstadters influential social darwinism in american thought, 18601915 sdat. After examining the development of social darwinist theories by a number of european and american thinkers, mike hawkins explores the use of these theories in a number of ideological debates and movements of the period 18601945. Hofstadter holds that no theory had more impact on american thinking than evolution. Social darwinism in american thought by hofstadter, richard, 19161970. The ambiguous legacy of richard hofstadters social darwinism in american thought. I was blown away by this book when i first read it, back in the 1970s. Hofstadters 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. Social darwinism in american thought with a new introduction ed.

Richard hofstadter august 6, 1916 october 24, 1970 was an american historian and public intellectual of the mid20th century hofstadter was the dewitt clinton professor of american history at columbia university. Socialdarwinisminamericanthought richardhofstadter thebeaconpressboston1955 introduction darwinismwasusedtostabilize. Social darwinism in american thought, 18601915 on jstor. Social darwinism in american thoughtportrays 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. Social darwinism in american thought book by richard. The influence of social darwinism on progressive era.

In spite of this, much resistance was met by those advocating social control from the laissez faire philosophers when it came to labor policy. Social darwinism, as almost everyone knows, is a bad thing. Chapter 4 the theory of laissezfaire digital history. Hofstadter identified social darwinism not in terms of any. Download pdf social darwinism in american thought free. Science social darwinism in european and american thought 1860 1945. Chapter of social darwinism in american thought 1955 to spencer. Social darwinism in european and american thought, 1860. Antiintellectualism in american life 1963, and the essays collected in the paranoid style in american politics 1964. Social darwinism in american thought by richard hofstadter. It wasnt the whole of the case for laissezfaire economics. The muchhonored late historian hofstadter inaugurated the study of social darwinism in his 1944 ph.

He argues that from the late 19th century to the wwi era, social darwinian ideals shifted from a conservative starting point in which individualism was stressed, to a politically liberal stance that emphasized the collective, communal spirit of the nation. Social darwinism in american thought portrays the overall influence of darwin on american social theory and the notable battle waged among thinkers over the. 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. One of the curses of anthropology is its insularityits isolation from the world current of thought, its tendency to view its problems and methods as exclusive to. It clarifies the nature of social darwinism and its relationship to the ideas of darwin, lamarck and herbert spencer. Sumners adaptation of evolution to conservative thought deserves special attention, not only because of his historical importance as a popular teacher and writer, but also because he provided his age with a synthesis of three great products of western capitalist culture. Spencers philosophy was admirably suited to the american scene. Social darwinism in american thought richard hofstadter. Social darwinism in american thought hofstadter, richard on. Read download social darwinism in american thought pdf. Prepared and published under the direction of the american historical association from the income of the albert j. Hofstadter, richard social darwinism in american thought george braziller, new york 1955 abridged 0 words the rich and powerful must be the fittest they survive very well almost everywhere in western civilization thinkers of the darwinian era seized upon the new theory and attempted to sound its meaning for the several social disciplines.

Are societys disadvantaged doomed to get selected out of the economic pool. Hofstadter overstates the significance of social darwinism. Rejecting his earlier communist approach to history, in the 1950s he came closer to the concept of consensus history, and was epitomized by some of his admirers as the. 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. Social darwinism in american thought richard hofstadter the. By richard hofstadter, department of history, university of maryland. 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. Hofstadter championed economic reform over free markets, but he also condemned biology in social science, this. Social darwinismin american thought richardhofstadter thebeaconpressboston1955 introduction darwinismwasusedtostabilize. Theorists such as herbert spencer and william graham sumner adopted the idea of the struggle for existence as. And i give it three stars because it did introduce me to many of the ideas and thinkers hofstadter highlights. Hofstadters classic book on social darwinism in american thought 1944. The most vigorous and influential american disciple of spencers social theory was william graham sumner.

Is americas social landscape a battleground for the survival of the f. His most important works are social darwinism in american thought, 18601915 1944. Social 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. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Social darwinism in american thought pdf free download. Richard hofstadter argued that in the 1880s social darwinism dominated the thinking of the entrepreneuri al classes in usa. Tracing the impact of darwin on thinkers throughout the gilded age and the progressive era, social darwinism shows how a politically neutral scientific theory has been adapted with skillful rhetoric to contradictory purposes. Socialdarwinisminamericanthought richardhofstadter. Social darwinism in american thought, 18601915 richard. The postsdat meanings of social darwinism are the product of an unresolved whiggish tension in sdat.