Social Darwinism provided a pseudo-scientific justification for New Imperialism by framing European expansion as a natural process of "survival of the fittest" among nations and races.
Core Justification
Social Darwinism applied Charles Darwin's evolutionary ideas to human societies, arguing that stronger, more advanced nations had a natural right to dominate weaker ones. This ideology portrayed imperialism not as exploitation but as an inevitable step in human progress, where superior races advanced civilization.
Key Applications
- Racial Hierarchy : It promoted beliefs in European racial superiority, legitimizing the subjugation of non-Western peoples as evolutionarily justified.
- Civilizing Mission : Imperial powers invoked the "White Man's Burden" to claim they were morally obligated to uplift "inferior" societies through colonization.
- National Competition : Expansion was seen as proof of a nation's fitness, fueling the late 19th-century Scramble for Africa and Asia.
Broader Impact
By embedding these ideas in public discourse and policy, Social Darwinism reduced moral resistance to aggressive imperialism, influencing figures like Karl Pearson and enabling resource grabs and cultural imposition. It intertwined with nationalism to make conquest appear scientifically endorsed rather than politically driven.
