What Does Social Darwinism Say About Mental Health?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is the Concept of Social Darwinism?Why Is Social Darwinism Discredited?Emotions Help Keep Humans Safe and in CheckWhat Does Darwinian (aka Evolutionary) Psychology Say About Mental Health Conditions?

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Table of Contents

What Is the Concept of Social Darwinism?

Why Is Social Darwinism Discredited?

Emotions Help Keep Humans Safe and in Check

What Does Darwinian (aka Evolutionary) Psychology Say About Mental Health Conditions?

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Social Darwinism refers to a now-discredited theory that societies evolve according to the same process of natural selection that organisms do.

Herbert Spencer and other early proponents of this belief used Charles Darwin’s principles of evolution to justify everything from racial inequality and eugenics to imperialism and laissez-faire capitalism.

Rebecca Heiss, PhD

Keep reading to learn why this theory is discredited and what evolutionarypsychologyactually has to say about the origins of human thought, behavior, and social relationships.

Social Darwinism has been used and defined in many ways which often contradict each other. But generally, it uses the idea of natural selection as the “survival of the fittest” to argue that the rich and powerful in society are inherently or biologically superior to those who aren’t as wealthy or powerful—and that their political, economic, or social success is proof of that innate superiority.

Social Darwinism Was Used to Justify GenocideUnder the Nazi regime, for example, Social Darwinism was used as a justification for genocide. The regime dubbed Aryan Germans the superior race and implemented a brutal ethnic cleansing campaign to eradicate “inferior” races.

Social Darwinism Was Used to Justify Genocide

Under the Nazi regime, for example, Social Darwinism was used as a justification for genocide. The regime dubbed Aryan Germans the superior race and implemented a brutal ethnic cleansing campaign to eradicate “inferior” races.

In the United States, meanwhile, more than 30 states had passed sterilization laws around the same time period that the Nazi regime was carrying out its genocidal campaign. These laws were based on the same pseudo-scientific Social Darwinist beliefs and led to the forced sterilization of approximately 70,000 people deemed genetically inferior under the laws. Those targeted included people withdisabilities,poor people, and women who had children out of wedlock.

While its use as a justification for eugenics and oppression is reason enough to discount Social Darwinism, the belief has also been criticized for fundamentally misunderstanding how evolution works.

Social Darwinism Misunderstands How Evolution Really Works

To start, Social Darwinism conflates “survival of the fittest” with genetic superiority. In fact, a common misconception about evolution is that only the most advantageous traits continue. But that’s not necessarily the case according toJoseph Shrand, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Riverside Community Care, and psychiatry lecturer at Harvard Medical School.

“Many psychiatric conditions such asschizophreniado not emerge until late teens or early twenties,” Dr. Shrand said. “Hundreds of thousands of years ago many of those humans already had procreated. The genetic material would in essence hide until after the individual already had babies.”

Any Trait Can Be Passed DownAll that needs to happen for a trait to persist is that it doesn’t negatively impact your odds of survival or your fertility so much that you aren’t capable of living long enough to reproduce. That means a whole host of traits ranging from helpful to harmful continue to be passed down. Rather than the survival of the fittest, then, it’s probably more useful to think of it as “survival of the good enough.”

Any Trait Can Be Passed Down

All that needs to happen for a trait to persist is that it doesn’t negatively impact your odds of survival or your fertility so much that you aren’t capable of living long enough to reproduce. That means a whole host of traits ranging from helpful to harmful continue to be passed down. Rather than the survival of the fittest, then, it’s probably more useful to think of it as “survival of the good enough.”

Superior Traits Are Subjective

These pseudo-scientific policies also ignore just how relative “superior traits” are. There are no objectively superior genes or universally advantageous traits. Moreover, the traits that are most beneficial to us now might be harmful or at least useless to us later.

In fact, we’ve already witnessed that with our biological tendency to crave fats and sugars. Thousands of years ago, those nutrients were scarce so an intense craving for them was important in motivating people to keep foraging for them even though it was difficult.

In other cases, genes can be both beneficial and harmful depending on how they present. “For example, sickle cell anemia (a recessive disorder) is protective against malaria,” said Dr. Heiss. With two copies of the recessive gene for sickle cell anemia, the harmful effects of the disease outweigh the protective advantage against malaria. But people with just one copy of the recessive gene are both resistant to malaria and free of the painful, life-threatening symptoms of sickle cell anemia.

Genetic Diversity Ensures SurvivalInstead of pursuing some ideal notion of genetic superiority, then, it’s more important for a population’s long-term survival to maintain genetic diversity. A wide and diverse gene pool filled with diverse traits, including those that might seem non-adaptive, is essential to maintaining the variety of traits needed to adapt to changing environments.

Genetic Diversity Ensures Survival

Instead of pursuing some ideal notion of genetic superiority, then, it’s more important for a population’s long-term survival to maintain genetic diversity. A wide and diverse gene pool filled with diverse traits, including those that might seem non-adaptive, is essential to maintaining the variety of traits needed to adapt to changing environments.

How Awareness of Epigenetics and Generational Trauma Can Inform Therapy

Charles Darwin is most widely known for his concepts of natural and sexual selection, but the naturalist also wrote extensively about psychology and human behavior, chiefly in his third book, “The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals.”

Rebecca Heiss, PhDIn moderate amounts, anxiety might have increased vigilance and preparedness for danger.

In moderate amounts, anxiety might have increased vigilance and preparedness for danger.

This work laid the foundation for later research on the adaptive value of emotions and emotional expression, including the fundamental role they play in guiding behavior and promoting cooperation in a social species like human beings.

“Emotionsare incredibly adaptive,” Dr. Heiss said. For example, “in moderate amounts, anxiety might have increased vigilance and preparedness for danger.” Meanwhile,angercan motivate us to fight back or change things that are harmful to us. While emotions like these can be overwhelming, their fundamental role in guiding behavior anddecision-makinghas played a key role in human survival.

Emotional expressionhelps us signal to others not only that we need help, but the specific kind of help we might need.

For Darwin, the ability to express emotions may have been even more important than the emotions themselves. “Because humans are such a social species, we needed to be able to communicate honestly and effectively in order to be able to cooperate and rely on one another for survival,” Dr. Heiss said. Emotional expression helps us signal to others not only that we need help, but the specific kind of help we might need.

Rebecca Heiss, PhDRecognizing that certain traits associated with psychiatric disorders might have had adaptive value in the past might help reduce stigma and promote empathy and understanding.

Recognizing that certain traits associated with psychiatric disorders might have had adaptive value in the past might help reduce stigma and promote empathy and understanding.

Mild Anxiety Can Make People More Cautious

One hypothesis is that psychiatric disorders persist for the same reason that diseases like sickle cell anemia persist. In extreme cases, for example, anxiety disorders can be debilitating.

However, mild cases of anxiety can make a person more cautious and prevent them from taking dangerous risks. That could, in turn, make them more likely to survive—and pass on their genes—compared to their more reckless peers.

The tendency to seek novelty would have made someone with ADHD more likely to discover new food sources and generally be more readily adaptable to the ever-changing demands of their environment.

Nervous vs. Anxious: What’s the Difference?

Traits of ADHD May Have Been Beneficial in the Past

Another hypothesis is that, like our craving for fats and sugar, traits that are currently non-adaptive were once beneficial in the past. ADHD is one of the more common examples of this hypothesis. “The traits associated with ADHD, such as impulsivity and hyperactivity, might have been beneficial in ancestral environments where quick responses and exploration were crucial for survival,” said Dr. Heiss.

Certain Traits Can Become Unhelpful in New Environments

But now, those same traits that were once advantageous can end up being maladaptive in the modern world, where survival depends on consistency and routine (e.g., adhering to a standard 40-hour work week). Jobs like these requiresustained focuson the same set of tasks.

“Recognizing that certain traits associated with psychiatric disorders might have had adaptive value in the past might help reduce stigma and promote empathy and understanding,” Dr. Heiss said.

What This Means For YouA greater understanding of how or why these traits might have evolved can reduce the stigma that people with ADHD are just lazy or that people withdepressionjust need to look at the bright side. While the traits may no longer be adaptive, they are as biologically rooted in a person as the once adaptive trait of craving fats and sugar. That increased understanding and empathy can, in turn, lead to more holistic and effective treatment plans.Understanding the adaptive function that these emotions and behaviors serve can point to potential underlying causes or better treatment approaches that can serve that adaptive function in a more constructive, beneficial way.

What This Means For You

A greater understanding of how or why these traits might have evolved can reduce the stigma that people with ADHD are just lazy or that people withdepressionjust need to look at the bright side. While the traits may no longer be adaptive, they are as biologically rooted in a person as the once adaptive trait of craving fats and sugar. That increased understanding and empathy can, in turn, lead to more holistic and effective treatment plans.Understanding the adaptive function that these emotions and behaviors serve can point to potential underlying causes or better treatment approaches that can serve that adaptive function in a more constructive, beneficial way.

A greater understanding of how or why these traits might have evolved can reduce the stigma that people with ADHD are just lazy or that people withdepressionjust need to look at the bright side. While the traits may no longer be adaptive, they are as biologically rooted in a person as the once adaptive trait of craving fats and sugar. That increased understanding and empathy can, in turn, lead to more holistic and effective treatment plans.

Understanding the adaptive function that these emotions and behaviors serve can point to potential underlying causes or better treatment approaches that can serve that adaptive function in a more constructive, beneficial way.

The 6 Major Theories of Emotion

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Dictionary of Psychology.Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.Nazi Persecution of Other Groups: 1933 ‑ 1945.The New Yorker.The forgotten lessons of the american eugenics movement.

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Dictionary of Psychology.Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.Nazi Persecution of Other Groups: 1933 ‑ 1945.The New Yorker.The forgotten lessons of the american eugenics movement.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychological Association.Dictionary of Psychology.Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.Nazi Persecution of Other Groups: 1933 ‑ 1945.The New Yorker.The forgotten lessons of the american eugenics movement.

American Psychological Association.Dictionary of Psychology.

Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.Nazi Persecution of Other Groups: 1933 ‑ 1945.

The New Yorker.The forgotten lessons of the american eugenics movement.

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