Social Darwinism Revisited: How four critics altered the meaning of a near-obsolete term, greatly increased its usage, and thereby changed social science.
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| Authors: | Hodgson, Geoffrey M.1 (AUTHOR) g.hodgson2@lboro.ac.uk |
|---|---|
| Source: | Journal of Evolutionary Economics. Apr2024, Vol. 34 Issue 2, p403-427. 25p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Free enterprise, *Databases, Social scientists, Biological evolution, English language |
| People: | Hofstadter, Richard, 1916-1970, Spencer, Herbert, 1820-1903 |
| Abstract: | Many social scientists still resist Darwinian insights. A possible reason for this is a fear of being associated with Social Darwinism. This article updates a 2002 search for appearances of Social Darwinism in articles and reviews on the JSTOR database. This database has since increased substantially in size, and it now includes far more publications in languages other than English. Use of the term Social Darwinism was rare before the 1940s. Talcott Parsons used it in 1932 to criticise the analytic use of the core Darwinian concepts in social science. Subsequently, and for the first time, Herbert Spencer and Willam Graham Sumner were described as Social Darwinists. This led to a major change of meaning of the term, where it was associated more, but not entirely, with free market individualism. With this reconstructed meaning, a 1944 bestselling book by Richard Hofstadter provoked an explosion of usage of the term in postwar years. The continuing use of the term is partly ideologically motivated and has served to deter consideration of Darwinian ideas in social science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Database: | Entrepreneurial Studies Source |
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| Header | DbId: ent DbLabel: Entrepreneurial Studies Source An: 179295286 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hodgson%2C+Geoffrey+M%2E%22">Hodgson, Geoffrey M.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> g.hodgson2@lboro.ac.uk</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Evolutionary+Economics%22">Journal of Evolutionary Economics</searchLink>. Apr2024, Vol. 34 Issue 2, p403-427. 25p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Free+enterprise%22">Free enterprise</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Databases%22">Databases</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+scientists%22">Social scientists</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biological+evolution%22">Biological evolution</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+language%22">English language</searchLink> – Name: SubjectPerson Label: People Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="PE" term="%22Hofstadter%2C+Richard%2C+1916-1970%22">Hofstadter, Richard, 1916-1970</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="PE" term="%22Spencer%2C+Herbert%2C+1820-1903%22">Spencer, Herbert, 1820-1903</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Many social scientists still resist Darwinian insights. A possible reason for this is a fear of being associated with Social Darwinism. This article updates a 2002 search for appearances of Social Darwinism in articles and reviews on the JSTOR database. This database has since increased substantially in size, and it now includes far more publications in languages other than English. Use of the term Social Darwinism was rare before the 1940s. Talcott Parsons used it in 1932 to criticise the analytic use of the core Darwinian concepts in social science. Subsequently, and for the first time, Herbert Spencer and Willam Graham Sumner were described as Social Darwinists. This led to a major change of meaning of the term, where it was associated more, but not entirely, with free market individualism. With this reconstructed meaning, a 1944 bestselling book by Richard Hofstadter provoked an explosion of usage of the term in postwar years. The continuing use of the term is partly ideologically motivated and has served to deter consideration of Darwinian ideas in social science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ent&AN=179295286 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1007/s00191-024-00862-w Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 25 StartPage: 403 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Free enterprise Type: general – SubjectFull: Databases Type: general – SubjectFull: Social scientists Type: general – SubjectFull: Biological evolution Type: general – SubjectFull: English language Type: general – SubjectFull: Hofstadter, Richard, 1916-1970 Type: general – SubjectFull: Spencer, Herbert, 1820-1903 Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Social Darwinism Revisited: How four critics altered the meaning of a near-obsolete term, greatly increased its usage, and thereby changed social science. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Hodgson, Geoffrey M. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 04 Text: Apr2024 Type: published Y: 2024 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 09369937 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 34 – Type: issue Value: 2 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of Evolutionary Economics Type: main |
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