Evolutionary biology and beliefs: How ideology can draw different social stances from science

Agreeing that there are often strong connections between fields of science and the ideological convictions of those producing the science, this essay shows that the connections are often complex and rarely straightforward. Taking the example of evolutionary biology, by looking at three key figures –...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inMetode Science Studies Journal no. 7; pp. 53 - 59
Main Author Ruse, Michael
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Universitat de València 01.01.2017
Subjects
Adolf Hitler
Alfred Russel Wallace
Charles Darwin
Herbert Spencer
social Darwinism
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Agreeing that there are often strong connections between fields of science and the ideological convictions of those producing the science, this essay shows that the connections are often complex and rarely straightforward. Taking the example of evolutionary biology, by looking at three key figures – Herbert Spencer, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace – it is shown how very different social beliefs can lead to very different social conclusions being drawn from one’s science. It is argued that this message should be kept firmly in mind by those who today would draw social conclusions from science, for instance suggesting that Darwinian evolutionary biology leads straight to the social philosophy of the Third Reich. The truth is always far more complex.
ISSN:2174-3487
2174-9221
DOI:10.7203/metode.7.7611