Social Darwinism categorized human society into the fit and superior versus the unfit and inferior based on the biological concept of survival of the fittest. It justified social inequalities and harmful actions by superior groups. Eugenics built upon this by proposing to improve the human gene pool by encouraging reproduction from desirable groups and discouraging it from undesirable groups, often targeting the poor, disabled, and non-white populations. Nazi Germany notably practiced negative eugenics through forced sterilization and genocide.

1. GRADE 11 – TOPIC 3:
IDEAS OF RACE IN THE LATE 19TH
AND 20TH CENTURIES
UNIT 2 :
AN EXPLANATION OF EUGENICS
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2. WHAT ARE PERSONALITY TRAITS?
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3. M.N.SPIES

4. WHAT ARE PHYSICAL CHARACTER
TRAITS?
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5. DO WE USE CHARACTER TRAITS IN
OUR EVERYDAY LIFES TO SEND A
MESSAGE OR TO JUDGE OTHERS?
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6. IF WE PLAY COMPUTER OR TELEVISION GAMES, WE OFTEN
CHOOSE OUR CHARACTER ACCORDING TO THE TRAITS WE FIND
MOST DESIRABLE
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7. WE ALSO CHOOSE OUR FRIENDS ACCORDING
TO THE APPEARANCE AND PERSONALITY
TRAITS WE LIKE MOST.
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8. M.N.SPIES

9. SOCIAL DARWISM
• As the ideas of scientific racism became
popular, social scientists began to borrow the
theories of biologists in order to further
develop their theories of race.
• Herbert Spencer developed the philosophy of
Social Darwinism, in which he adapted Charles
Darwin’s research on evolution in the animal
kingdom and applied it to human beings.
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10. SOCIAL DARWISM
• Darwin discovered that animal species are
changing and evolving in their competitive
environment, and that only the strongest
species survived.
• Spencer applied this research to human
beings to support his belief that some humans
are superior to others.
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11. SOCIAL DARWISM
• The strongest humans (white, wealthy and
powerful) were at the top of society, while the
weak (poor, black people and Jews) were at
the bottom.
• This principle known as ‘survival of the fittest’
implied that, as in the animal kingdom, human
society was undertaking an evolutionary
process in which the fittest would dominate.
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12. M.N.SPIES

13. M.N.SPIES

14. SOCIAL DARWISM
• The ideas of Social Darwinism appealed to the
rich and powerful people in society, because
they felt it explained and justified social
inequalities.
• The false teaching of Social Darwinism had
terrible effects on international politics,
economics and social developments across
the globe.
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15. SOCIAL DARWISM
• : “Social Darwinism supported the view that
so-called ‘white civilised’ industrial nations
that had technologically advanced weapons
had the moral right to conquer and ‘civilise’
the ‘savage blacks’ of the world. In this way, its
supporters believed that superior societies
would evolve culturally and politically and
dominate the weak. Social Darwinism seemed
to justify imperialism, colonialism, racism and
poverty.”
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16. Social Darwinism was the theory that
human society could be categorised
into the fit and superior and the unfit
and inferior. It included the concept of
the survival of the fittest and justified
measures taken by superior groups to
maintain their superiority. Eugenics
took this one step further and proposed
getting rid of the inferior people in
society.
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17. Eugenics is a set of theories claiming
that it is possible to improve a human
or animal species by breeding from the
better ones and not from weaker ones.
Eugenicists want species with desirable
characteristics to survive and to
dominate.
EUGENICS
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18. “Linking to Eugenics, can you
think of some examples in
History where positive
Eugenics was promoted and
reproducing negative
Eugenics was discouraged?”
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19. M.N.SPIES

20. What is positive Eugenics?
• Only people with desirable traits should be
allowed to reproduce.
• “GOOD IN BIRTH”
• Positive eugenics means adding to the human
gene pool so called desirable characteristics.
• But the question relating to the cause of racism
and the effect theories of race had, would be to
whom are these characteristics desirable?
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21. Francis Galton and his theory of
Eugenics
• HIS THEORY BUILDED ON THE THEORY OF
SOCIAL DARWISM...
• “Eugenicists supported the view that
stronger groups in society should be
improved and weaker groups should be
removed. “
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22. Negative Eugenics and Selective
Breeding
• SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO REPRODUCE
• They thought that social problems like crime
and poverty could be solved by getting rid of
the ‘inferior’ parts of the population.
• They concentrated on the differences
between people and categorised them into
‘fit’ and ‘unfit’.
• The idea was to create the perfect race.
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23. M.N.SPIES

24. Example in history
• Nazi Germany was the most enthusiastic
supporter of negative Eugenics.
• The Nazis sterilised almost a quarter of a
million people thought to be ‘unfit’ for
reasons of health and eventually murdered
more than 70 000 people in German mental
hospitals. They also murdered millions of
people because of their religion or race.”
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25. M.N.SPIES

26. M.N.SPIES

27. SUMMARY
• Social Darwinism was the theory that human
society could be categorised into the fit and
superior and the unfit and inferior. It included
the concept of the survival of the fittest and
justified measures taken by superior groups to
maintain their superiority. Eugenics took this
one step further and proposed getting rid of
the inferior people in society.
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28. M.N.SPIES

29. SUMMARY
• Social Darwinism was the theory that human
society could be categorised into the fit and
superior and the unfit and inferior. It included
the concept of the survival of the fittest and
justified measures taken by superior groups to
maintain their superiority. Eugenics took this
one step further and proposed getting rid of
the inferior people in society.
M.N.SPIES