What idea was promoted by the theory of social Darwinism in the late nineteenth century?
A) Certain inequities should be ameliorated by government intervention.
B) Charles Darwin actually was writing about people when he authored On the Origin of Species.
C) Progress is the result of competition where the strong survived and the weak died out.
D) Competition led rich Americans to have an unfair advantage over the poor.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The theory of social Darwinism promoted the idea that progress and success in society were the result of natural competition, where the strong survive and the weak die out. This belief was based on the concept of Darwin's theory of natural selection, but applied it to human society. Therefore, option C is the best choice as it accurately represents the idea promoted by social Darwinism. Option A is incorrect because social Darwinism did not support government intervention to ameliorate inequities. Option B is incorrect because it misinterprets Darwin's work. Option D is incorrect because it suggests that social Darwinism was in favor of government intervention to address the inequality caused by competition, but this is not the case.

What Idea Was Promoted by the Theory of Social Darwinism