While discussing Darwin's "great" works, it would be a tremendous start to report them accurately. The title of Darwin's work which most modernly and conveniently call "The Origin of Species" is actually and originally the following:
The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection: The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life
Please make sure to credit Darwin's theory with the rationalization used by Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, and every other genocide which is perfectly justifiable by the degradation of the value of life down to nothing more than an accidental tissue mass. Before everyone wants to shout this down as "religion" consider that no "religion" or "religious belief" has been forwarded here. That's just the logical ramification of subscribing to the "Preservation of Favored Races" which is basically a racist view of the living. Those murderous dictators were perfect Darwinians. Its also perfect justification for the destruction of the environment, endangered species, and various ecosystems, which apparently deserve to be destroyed if natural selection dictates that they do not maintain the ability to preserve themselves in their present state.
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Thank you, yes. That is the actual title of the book. Having gone to the effort of Wikipedia'ing it, copying it, and pasting it into your silly little rant, I'm sure you appreciate why most people abbreviate it.
Anyway, Hitler was a Christian.
Thank you.
By 'preservation of favored races' Darwin simply meant that those that are biologically superior will flourish. While the rationalization of Hitler was that the Aryan race was superior, that was not, in actuallity, the case. Realize this: science is the collection of knowledge. What others do with this knowledge is not the problem of the scientists who collect it in the first place.
If you had read more of the book than the title, you would realize that Darwin said that the things that were more "favored" were the ones that reproduced more. He said nothing about killing off the ones that were not "favored" (in fact, he argued against it, since a currently unfavorable trait may become favorable in the future, and the population may die if it has been completely eliminated). Darwin also was talking about natural selection, ie. environmental pressures. Genocide is not an environmental pressure, so natural selection doesn't even apply.
The way the word "race" is used in Darwin's work, it should obvious even to Dimwit77 that it doesn't refer to human races specifically, but to species and variations within species.
Should be, but apparently it is not.
The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection: The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life
Couldn't be that "races" actually means "species or varieties within a species" and not necessarily races within humanity, could it? Looking at the context, it seems clear enough - especially since Darwin makes no mention at all of any particular race as favored, and he makes it clear that "favored" simply means that they have traits that, for whatever reason, are biologically helpful. It can hardly be held against Darwin if Hitler misunderstood him (willingly or otherwise).
Please make sure to credit Darwin's theory with the rationalization used by Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot
Hitler said that he believed he was doing the work of the Lord in ridding the planet of Jews. The other two were not genocide - mass murder on an appalling scale, yes, but genocide is specifically because of race or ethnicity, and Stalin at least was an equal-opportunity killer (I know less about Pol Pot).
"While discussing Darwin's "great" works, it would be a tremendous start to report them accurately."
And then you go on to report them inaccurately. What the fuck was your point, document your stupidity?
You don't know Darwin, Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot or the meaning of the word, 'Race' in context to your reference. Please come back when you know what you are talking about.
Oh, FFS. It isn't even the book that discusses human evolution. Why don't you read it (fat chance) and then tell me which human race or races Darwin considered 'favoured', hm?
Oh, and yer title's still wrong - it's On the Origin of Species, etc.
Of course, you don´t understand that it is nature who selects, by natural means, the ones to adapt. It has nothing to do with politics AND NOT WITH RELIGION.
Except, you know, Hitler was basically decreasing the genetic pool, thus if not preventing evolution from occurring, at least slowing it down.
and every other genocide which is perfectly justifiable by the degradation of the value of life down to nothing more than an accidental tissue mass.
I present to you the tribes that lived in Isreal before the Jews got there aftr the exodus from Egypt. Is Darwin to blame for that genocide to? Remember that was not degrading on biological basis but on religious.
" the destruction of the environment, endangered species, and various ecosystems, which apparently deserve to be destroyed if natural selection dictates that they do not maintain the ability to preserve themselves in their present state."
When complaining about environmental wackos, Rush Limbaugh takes this very position, so Darwin must also be responsible for Rush.
"Its also perfect justification for the destruction of the environment, endangered species, and various ecosystems,"
Because, you know, highly evolved creatures like human beings don't need a rich and stimulating environment to live in, oxygen replenishment by rainforests, sources of meat and plant nutrition (hint: hunting food sources to extinction is not a good long-term plan).
Besides, survival of the fittest does NOT imply that the fittest will expressly set out to destroy all other life.
By all means, get the title right. The first word of it should be On .
As for the rest of this post, Darwin is not responsible for the deranged or fraudulent misapplication of his ideas. That's like blaming the U.S. Treasury for counterfeiters.
~David D.G.
I think he meant "favored races" in terms of "best-adapted species," not in the way the term is used today. Plus, Darwin was not racist and disapproved of things like slavery that occurred in his time.
You don't get the actual title correct, you don't understand what the title means, and you apparently have never read anything about Darwin himself or you would know that he and his family were abolitionists.
Given that you got these basic facts wrong, why should anyone believe anything else you have to say?
Hitler's motivation was plain, simple racism: kill everyone not like me because they're inferior. There are plenty of similar examples in the Bible. And his rationale was taken from animal breeding, a practice well-established before Darwin.
So... what you're really saying is that the gassing and shooting of 6 million Jews, and 5 million gypsies, gays, mentally retarded people and political opponents was... natural
While discussing the encroaching threat of "Communist" China, it would be a tremendous start start to report it accurately. The title of China is actually the following:
People's Republic of China
Therefore, Republicans are Communists. Thank you.
What part of Natural Selection do you not get, brado?
If you actively kill off some while preserving others, it's breeding, not natural selection.
Isn't it "ON the Origin of...." and didn't Darwin mean "species" when he said "races"?
He wrote about what he SAW happening, not what he thought OUGHT TO happen, stupid.
Was it before or after Hitler ordered Darwin's books to be burned, that he rationalized it?
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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