Is this a truth? Did Nazi Germany evolve because of this theory?

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The Nazi used a concept referred to as “social darwinism” to justify their actions. Despites its name it actually comes from the theories of Herbert Spenser, not Darwin. Evolutionary theory indicates that the viability of a species increases with the degree of variation within that species. Social darwinist programs seek to limit or reduce that variation. This is contrary to Darwinism and evolutionary theory.

But we cannot even say that the Nazis came about because of the theories of Herbert Spenser. Anti Semitism was rampant in Germany and throughout Europe decades before anyone had ever heard of Darwin. Social darwinism was just one of the rationalizations used, not the cause.

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A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe,
a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself,
his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest
a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. -- Albert Einstein

You know I think "Survival of fittest" was an earleir interpretation of Darwin's theory... I think today we would say more likely that adapting to the environment or conditions is an even more appropriate understanding of Darwin's theory.

The problem with Nazism was that it grew because of the conditions of Germany following WWI .... Germany had accepted defeat and had to pay hugh reparations. The economy also went through a horrible inflation. So Nazism grew among those who wanted to restore pride in Germany. Hitler offered the Peoples' Car (Volkswagen) which was to me sort of like the Model T of Henry Ford... The other step was building the Autobahn something like a freeway system. So the middle class began to see some benefit. Of course Nazism also scapegoated the Jews, Gypsies, and homosexuals... and used eugenics to sterilize handicapped people believing the race should be purified. So Nazism was a whole bundle of things. Nazism also tapped into the anti-Semitism that had been in Christian Europe for centuries.

What did all this have to do with Darwin? I personally doubt Darwinism had much to do with the rise of Nazism.

There was a recent news item on Darwin presenting his life at the American Museum of Natural History in New York:


By DEEPTI HAJELA, Associated Press Writer
Sat Nov 19, 3:30 AM ET




NEW YORK - He was a lackluster student, bored by the rote memorization of Latin words. He tried medical school, but hated it. Charles Darwin figured he would end up in the clergy, his love of nature and the sciences just a hobby.


Then came the invitation — one of his mentors had been asked to go on a voyage but was too busy. Perhaps Darwin would be interested in the post of naturalist on the HMS Beagle, setting sail for South America in 1831?

That five-year voyage would change the course of Darwin's life — and ours. It was on that trip that Darwin collected the specimens and took the notes that were the underpinnings of his theory of evolution by natural selection, the foundation of modern biology.

A new exhibition examines that pivotal work, as well as the man himself. "Darwin," a landmark exhibit put together by some of the world's leading science institutions, opens Saturday at the American Museum of Natural History and runs until May 29.

"Our visitors are invited to retrace Darwin's footsteps, to see what he saw ... and to follow his path to discovery," said Ellen Futter, president of the New York museum.

The exhibit includes some of Darwin's own papers, samples he collected, his magnifying glass, as well as fossils, live animals including two Galapagos tortoises, and a recreation of Darwin's study at his English countryside home.

Futter said the show is meant not only to present Darwin, but to explain evolutionary theory and highlight the process by which scientific theory and research are done.

"We're humanizing the scientific enterprise, we're reminding people that this is about individuals who were curious, individuals who had to know," Futter said. "This is something we want to make accessible."

The exhibit, three years in the planning, debuts at a time when evolutionary theory is again the subject of debate. Earlier this month in Kansas, the state Board of Education voted to adopt standards for schools that say the theory is flawed. On the other side, voters in Pennsylvania ousted every member of a local school board who supported including the concept of intelligent design in the curriculum, replacing them with members who opposed the mandate.

Darwin's theory has always been a lightning rod. In fact, Darwin worked on it in secret for more than 20 years because he was reluctant to deal with the controversy he knew it would engender.

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So from the above we see that Darwin's work continues to be a catalyst for debate and I think has stimulated scientific education over the world.

I happen to believe that Amercia can ill afford to have science curricula in public schools burdened with pseudoscientific beliefs.

- Art

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"it benefits us to be thoughtful, not of the glory of our minds, but rather, above all else, of the glory of God."
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A careful study of the history of Christian Europe in general and of Germany in particular, together with the value of hindsight, actually makes a strong case for the proposition that a Hitler was inevitable.

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