[lit-ideas] Re: Social Darwinism or Darwinian Socialism?
- From: "Mike Geary" <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2005 09:33:52 -0600
JMc:
Returning to Geary's original point. Social Darwinism is misnamed
Yes, this was my point. One of two. There's no Darwinism in Social
Darwinism. Hobbesianism is far more the apt term, I think. Stan (whose
views I agree with) and "Andy" use the term as it is often used, I was
merely objecting to the use of Darwin's name in the term. There's nothing
Darwinian about Social Darwinism.
Point two. I was objecting to "Andy's" insistence that most humans are
stupid and evil and incapable of empathy. Many people have called me
"solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short," and they're probably right, but
that's never kept me from whistling the Ode to Joy. Humanity is not stupid.
Walk through any library and tell me humankind is stupid. Go to any art
museum or gallery and tell me that mankind is "stolid and stunned a brother
to the ox". Read this message on your computer and tell me we're incapable
of learning. Are we incapable of empathy? Some of us seem to be, but
social living would be an impossibility if most of us were. There are 6
billion people in the world. Somebody's doing some loving somewhere! And
caring for. And sacrificing for. And working for. The child rearing may
not meet "Andy's" standards, but we're getting there. We work through time.
Generation by generation. Change comes creeping slow. The point is we are
more the noble savage than we are Turnbull's Mountain People. 40 million
people were killed in WWII, how could I make such a claim? I make it
because we are appalled by that fact. We are not without caring, neither as
individuals nor as a species. Are we there yet? No. It'll be a while yet.
Find something to amuse yourself. I'll tell you when we get there.
Mike Geary
Memphis
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