Darwinism

As Darwinism refers to the system theory to explain the types of transformation (evolution) by Charles Darwin, in particular natural selection, that is, the principle of selection, is in the foreground. In addition, the term is also used in the sense of universal Darwinism, a general theory of evolutionary mechanisms, which states that in any frame (i.e., outside of biology ) in the presence of variability and selection pressure evolution take place. In the 19th century Darwinism was also a common generic term for several theories and concepts from biology, philosophy and the social sciences. The term Darwinism is often pejoratively by opponents, including Creationists needed. This reason, but mainly because it is not an " ism" in the sense of an ideology, but a discovered by Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace principle of nature, this term is now rejected by many evolutionary biologists. The term Darwinism was popularized in April 1860 by Thomas Henry Huxley, as he discussed in the Westminster Journal Darwin's On the Origin of Species.

Theories of evolution

The evolution has been accepted in the 19th century as a fact. Several theories explain the emergence, development and the diversity of living things on natural, ie physico- chemical means. Basically, the term Darwinism is used to distinguish the content of Darwin's Origin of Species by other theories of evolution, for example, the Lamarckism named after Lamarck. The Darwinian theory is based on heredity, variability and natural selection (selection). In this context, the term Darwinism is also sometimes used to emphasize the aspect of natural selection in particular, which was described by Darwin and Wallace first time and makes all the difference to other discredited theories of evolution, such as Lamarckism or Mutationism, the only of historical importance.

Furthermore, inter alia, is used by Wallace common term Darwinism to highlight the role of Charles Darwin as a thought leader and pioneer of evolutionary research, or even a definition of non-consolidated by Darwin evolutionary mechanisms perform as genetic drift and gene flow, which in the modern synthesis (synthetic theory of evolution ), among others aspects have been introduced. It is often spoken in this context of neo-Darwinism, a returning on August Weismann theory system, which represents a transitional form between the Darwinian and the Synthetic Theory: It was already included on the inheritance of chromosomes, but not yet the population genetics. This discipline was founded by Theodosius Dobzhansky and integrated in the evolutionary biology.

Due to the advancements in the biology of Darwinism (in the sense of Darwin 's theory of selection Wallace'schen ) today essentially only of historical significance.

The term Darwinism is used by creationists and opponents of evolutionary biology as a rather derogatory term for the evolution of science in general and naturalistic theories of evolution in particular. They speak of this evolution in the role of -ism - a doctrine or a belief - According to that, the equal treatment of beliefs, such as creationism or intelligent design, to demand. In the same context, the derogatory term evolutionism is often used; but this term has a different meaning in anthropology.

Darwinism in the 19th century

In the decades after the publication of Darwin's Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life ( German: On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life ) (1859 ) Darwinism stood for a whole range of applications based on evolution ( and then some revolutionary ) philosophies both in biology and in the social sciences. One of the more prominent approaches was by the philosopher Herbert Spencer in the key sentence Survival of the Fittest (German: Survival of the fittest ) summarized. This was later used as a symbol of Darwinism even though Spencer's own understanding of evolution corresponded more to that of Lamarck than Darwin. What is now called Social Darwinism, was then included in the concept of Darwinism - the application of Darwinian principles of survival struggle on society, usually in favor of anti- philanthropic political currents. Here, Darwin's concept of best fit has often been called the superiority of the fittest and the struggle for existence misunderstood as a violent war for survival. Another interpretation of Darwin's cousin Francis Galton considered in particular. He believed in an ostensible danger that in a civilization that natural selection would not work and that superior races of man, therefore, could be flooded by inferior races ( that would otherwise be filtered out). He held countermeasures necessary - the basis of eugenics.

During his lifetime, Darwin there was no clear definition of Darwinism - term. He was equally used by supporters and opponents of Darwin's theory system in any meaning that would fit in the larger context.

Oscar Hertwig took in his work to defend against the ethical, social, political Darwinism (1921 ) against these social developments massively influential currents in detail position.

Universal Darwinism

The concept proposed by Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett Universal Darwinism generalized Darwinism to areas outside of biology. Here, the following scheme is used:

If a replicant ( heritage ) of the unit or of the organism survives until further reproduction stage, the process begins anew. In the other case he can not pass on to the next generation of its properties. In the narrower formulations is sometimes additionally requires that variation and selection acting on different units, variation in the genotype and phenotype during selection.

The concept of Universal Darwinism is now expected that will occur in any system with these conditions evolution, no matter in which concrete frame. That is, it turned out in the form of time units with complex properties that favor their reproduction, while in each generation and a portion is displaced (i.e., becomes extinct ). Partly can also lose complexity properties when the corresponding selection pressure drops or a less complex property penetrated more advantageous. The Universal Darwinism says no target for the development direction of forward ( the performances of AR Wallace as co-discoverer of the selection principle is ignored in this case. )

Obviously, this can refer to biological evolution. However, there are other potential areas, of which the meme, which acts as a replicator, is probably the best known. It is a concept of redistribution and modification of ideas, which was introduced by Richard Dawkins in his book The Selfish Gene (1976). However, it is disputed whether this is a Darwinian process, as there is no compelling evidence that taking place for memes mutations are random.

Criticism of the Universal Darwinism

Prerequisite Darwinian developments is the blindness of the evolving individuals against the framework. Only under this condition can be spoken of purely random processes. Who holds the man for knowledge- able, for example, to the knowledge of an existing in nature evolutionary process, which is the Darwin Wallace'sche principle of selection is not easily to human, or at least can not be applied to intellectual phenomena. Susan Blackmore's Meme trial demonstrates, according to such views, the failure of an appropriate transfer.