A Reflection on Social Darwinism and Its Repercussions

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Al-Mustafa International University, Qom, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The world today accommodates many communities, consisting of diverse cultures with their distinct and similar characteristics. There are different conceptions of the nature of humans and the world, and the necessity of a comprehensive revision of various intellectual and cultural foundations for purposes of preventing the ever-growing conflicts makes itself felt more and more. Finding the roots and providing theoretical philosophical analyses of such tensions, as well as social repercussions of the philosophical views, will present us with a context in which the problem is illuminated. The social approach to the Darwinian theory of transformism is one such theory that provides philosophical and social contexts for aversion of the other. In this paper, we draw upon the analytic-descriptive method to collect data and documents to examine the philosophical and theological aspects, and then the social aspects, of this approach. We conclude that social Darwinism is not only a threat to cultural interrelations and peaceful coexistence of ethnicities, religions, and races, but also a threat to the world by encouraging racism, radical nationalism, and ethnical and religious supremacy, providing scientific justifications for such manners and habits.

Keywords

Main Subjects


Holy Qurʾan: Translated by Ali Quli Qaraʾi. 2004. London: Islamic College for Advanced Studies.
Akhavan, Mahdi. 1386 Sh. “Gozarish, tahlil wa-naqd kitab jamʿ bayn al-raʾyayn Farabi” (Review, analysis, and critique of Farabi’s reconciliation of the views of the two sages). Naqd va nazar, no 45-46 (Spring and Summer): 116-40.
Asgarpur Ali, Maryam and Hossein Sheykhrezaee. 1397 Sh. “Dawinism ijtimaʿi az nigah Michael Ruse: arzyabi naqqadani” (Social Darwinism in the view of Michael Ruse: a critical assessment). Justarhayi falsafi-pazhuhish-hayi falsafi 14, no. 33 (Spring and Summer): 117-42.
Behe, Michael J. 1996. “Darwin under Microscope.” New York Times (October 29): 25.
Cassirer, Ernst. 1380 Sh. Risali dar bab insan, daramadi bar falsafi farhang (An Essay on Man: An Introduction to a Philosophy of Human Culture). Translated by Nadir Buzurgzadih. Tehran: Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies.
Copleston, Frederick. 1975. A History of Philosophy. New York, USA: Image Books (Doubleday).
Darwin, Charles. 1380 Sh. On the Origins of Species by Means of Natural Selection. Vol. 1. Translated by Nur al-Din Farhikhtih. Tehran: Nashirin.
Darwin, Charles. 1898. On the origin of species. New York: Appleton and Company.
Darwin, Charles. 1985-2015. The Correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by F. Burkhardt. Volumes 1–21. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
 
Darwin, Charles. 1988. The Works of Charles Darwin. Edited by Barrett, P. H., and Freeman R. B. Vols. 1–29. New York: New York University Press.
Delaney, Tim. 1391 Sh. Nazariyi-hayi kilasik jamiʿishinasi (Classical Sociological Theories). Translated by Bihrang Siddiqi and Vahid Tuluʿi. Tehran: Ney.
Denton, Michael. 2002. Origin and Evolution of Life on a Frozen Earth. Third edition. Maryland: Adler & Adler.
Dickson, Thomas. 1397 Sh. Daramadi Kutah bar ‘Ilm va Din (A Short Introduction to Science and Religion). Translated by Shahram Dihdashti, Isfahan: Daftar-i Tablighat.
Fukūhī, Nāṣir. 1381 Sh. Tarikh andishi wa-nazariyyihayi insanshinasi (History of thought and theories of anthropology). Tehran: Ney.
Futuyma, Douglas J. 1997. Evolutionary Biology. Cary, USA: Sinauer Associates.
Gould, Stephen J. 1981. The Panda's Thumb: More Reflections in Natural History. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Husayni, Sayyid Husayn. 1394 SH (2015). “Khudabavari va Takamul-i Darwini” (Theism and Darwinian Evolution), Pazhuhishnami-yi Falsafi-yi Din (Nami-yi Hikmat) (13), no. 1 (Spring and Summer): 5-16.
Husayni, Sayyid Husayn. 1394 Sh. “Az sazgargirayi ta ziddi-Sazgargirayi-yi khudabavari wa-takamul Darwini: barrasi wa-naqd chahar didgah” (From compatibilism to anti-compatibilism of theism and Darwinian evolution: a consideration and critique of four views). Pazhuhishnami falsafi din (Nami hikmat) 55, no. 1 (Spring): 71-88.
Huxley, Thomas Henry. 1889/1909. “Agnosticism: a rejoinder.” In Science and Christian tradition; essays. London: Macmillan.
Küng, Hans. 2007. The beginning of all things: Science and religion. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.
Lahiji, Shams al-Din Muhammad. 1371 Sh. Mafatih al-Iʿjaz (The keys of the miracle). Edited by Muhammad Rida Buzurgi Khaliqi and ʿIffat Karbasi. Tehran: Ruzbih.
Lennox, James. 2019. “Darwinism.” In Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Edited by Edward Zalta. Accessed in December 2021. URL:< https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/darwinism/ >.
Masʿudiyan, Muhsin. 1382 Sh. “Tanazuʿ baqaʾ” (The struggle for survival). Nami ʿilm wa-din, no. 21 (Fall).
Outhwaite, William. 1392 Sh. Blackwell Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Social Thought. Translated by Hasan Chawushiyan. Tehran: Ney.
Rezania Shirazi, Hamid. 1394 Sh. “Wakawi munasibat ʿilm wa-din dar nigah Hans Küng” (An Inquiry into Science-Religion Relations in Hans Küng’s View). Faslnami pazhuhish-hayi iʿtiqadi-kalami 5, no. 17 (Spring): 29-49.
Rezania Shirazi, Hamid. 1399 Sh. “Bazkhani fardiyi thubut (fixism) ba fardiyi takamul anwaʿ (transformism)” (A revision of fixism by the thesis of the evolution of species). Faslnami mutalaʿat Qurʾani, (Fall): 137-62.
Rezania Shirazi, Hamid. 2012. Religion and Science; a philosophical study. India: Manohar. Concept Publisher.
Sulaymani, Marziyi. 1387 Sh. “Naqd nazariyi takamuli Darwin” (A Critique of Darwin’s Evolutionary Theory), Etemad Daily, no. 1765.
Tabatabaʾi, Sayyid Muhammad Husayn. 1363 Sh. Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qurʾan. Tehran: Markaz Nashr Farhangi Raja.
Trigg, Roger. 1382 Sh. Didgah-hayi darbari sirisht adami: ruykardi tarikhi (Ideas of Human Nature). Translated by a number of translators. Tehran: Institute for Humanities and Cultural.