Discuss the ideas of Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer that influenced Hitler's racist ideology. (3 Marks)
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Answer:
Hitler's racism borrowed from thinkers like Charles Darwin (1809-1882) and Herbert Spencer (1820-1903). Darwin was a natural scientist who tried to explain the creation of plants and animals through the concepts of evolution and natural selection. In 1859, Darwin published 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection' in which he proposed a theory of evolution by the process of natural selection. But he never advocated human intervention in what he thought was a purely natural process of selection. His ideas were used by racist politicians to justify imperial rule over conquered peoples. Herbert Spencer was deeply influenced by Charles Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species' and gave the idea of 'Survival of the Fittest' in his book, 'Principles of Biology'.