Social Darwinism in American Thought cover

Social Darwinism in American Thought

by Richard Hofstadter

Are society's disadvantaged doomed to get "selected out" of the economic pool? Is America's social landscape a battleground for the "survival of the fittest" where only the strong endure? Once again biology is being used to explain human development, and right-wing ideologies claim reluctance to intervene in the "natural" workings of the economy. The author's work offers insight into how ideas borne out of evolutionary theory continue to affect American values. Tracing the impact of Darwin on thinkers throughout the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era, this book shows how a politically neutral scientific theory has been adapted with skillful rhetoric to contradictory purposes.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?