Thomas Huxley 18251895

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Thomas Huxley (1825-1895)
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Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) Coined the term
survival of the fittest. Intended this term to
apply to biology, life and ethics. Wanted to
explain all things the meaning of life,
biology, ethics through naturalistic science
(No God)
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Walter Bagehot (1826-1877) In 1972, wrote Physics
and Politics Or Thoughts on the Application of
Principles of Natural Selection and Inheritance
to Political Science. Applied the concepts of
natural selection and survival of the fittest to
advance groups. Ie. Advanced groups are better
than other groups, because nature made them that
way. Thus, they are justified in looking out for
themselves and stomping on other races in order
to do this. Example The action of Europeans
during the colonization of Africa and other parts
of the world. Advanced races should not,
according to Bagehot, feel they need to share
their wealth and resources with less advanced
groups. They should feel free to spend all of
their resources on themselves. This is their
right, because if nature is all there is, then
they are advanced because nature made them that
way. Might Right. Thus racism and the
non-compassionate use of wealth are now made
respectable by science.
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Frederick Nietzsche (1844-1900) Said God is
Dead If God is dead, and all of our values are
based on God, then we need a revaluation of all
values. Nietzsche rejected Christian ideals
such as charity and helping the weak. SUPERMAN
theory even justifies totalitarian dictatorships.
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Otto von Bismark (1815-1898) First
Chancellor of the German Empire. Revaluated many
of the current values (as Nietzsche advised).
Came up with REALPOLITIK. Which basically said
Whatever you have to do to accomplish your goal,
Do it! Without worrying about right vs wrong.
Might Right. As a result of his REALPOLITIK,
wars were created to make the German nation a
dominant power in Europe. Bismark went so far
as to forge documents in order to cause wars he
thought would be good for Germany.
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Alliances many dating back to Bismarks
maneuvering.
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Nationalism Romantic Nationalism, with its
roots in the French Revolution the idea of
Our country is better than yours and we are
better people than you Was a cause of WWI.
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Imperialism competition between European
nations to exploit more and more of the worlds
people and resources encouraged by the theories
of Herbert Spencer and Walter Bagehot was one
of the causes of WWI.
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Technology made WWI the most brutal war in
history.
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Devastation
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Treaty of Versailles. Hitler Formulas. Policy
of Appeasement.
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Himmler(1900-1945) Gestapo leader.
the law of nature must take its course in
survival of the fittest.
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Hitler said Christianity and its notion of
charity should be replaced by the ethic of
strength over weakness