Religious Capitalism's Embrace of Social Darwinism

[chlamor]

Religious Capitalism's Embrace of Social Darwinism
By Dr. Gerry Lower

April 19, 2005 -- In ideological terms, religious capitalism rejects evolutionary theory in favor of faith in Biblical creationism and "intelligent design" (which is truly not intelligent because it provides no meaningful insight into design or purpose). In operational terms, however, and despite all loathing of evolutionary theory, religious capitalism begins and ends by following an agenda explicitly defined by post-Darwinian political theory, i.e., "Social Darwinism" (Matthew Rothschild, On the Estate Tax, Republicans Believe in Darwinism, The Progressive, April 14, 2005).

 

This utter inconsistency between ideology and operational policy is a general characteristic of Roman religious fundamentalism in that it has traditionally preached "Christianity" and practiced imperialism, colonialism and now capitalism. America's religious capitalism has no use for scientific knowledge and its philosophical ramifications but yet it has become utterly dependent upon scientific technology to fuel the production of commodities and capital in nourishing corporate dominion. In other words, religious capitalism is all body and no mind in the interest of greed-driven survival.

Most people associate the phrase "survival of the fittest" with Charles Darwin and the theory of evolution, but Darwin did not coin the phrase nor did he use it. The phrase was coined by Herbert Spencer, one of the contributors to the definition of "Social Darwinism." Spencer (1820-1903) was contemplating evolutionary change and concepts of progress before Darwin published the Origin of Species in 1857. Even so, his ideas received unjustifiable support from Darwinian evolutionary theory in the general application of ideas like "adaptation" and "survival of the fittest" to social thought.

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Social Darwinism incorrectly places the emphasis on individual conflict that produces a "loser" and a "winner," i.e., a survivor. "Fitness" in this macho view involves being bigger and better equipped, more ruthless and aggressive than one's competitors, even preemptive in action. Extrapolated to the cultural level of organization, this notion of "fitness" becomes synonymous with the notion that money and might make right.

 
http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_16933.shtml

[Anakin Skywalker]

1. I Have Realized This Exact Thing

for a long time. CONservative hypocrisy is one of the reasons I hate them so much!