James Hrynyshyn is a freelance science journalist and communications consultant based in western North Carolina, where he tries to put degrees in marine biology and journalism to good use.
Believe it or not, the New York Times has decided that it would be appropriate to quote someone making the old "Darwin is responsible for Nazis" canard. Using the pretext of the bizarre scene at the Republican presidential contenders debate the other day, when participants were asked to raise their hands is they didn't believe in evolution, the paper decided to delve more deeply into the alleged connection between Darwin and politics. And in that article we're treated to this little nugget of conservative wisdom:
Skeptics of Darwinism like William F. Buckley, Mr. [John G.] West and Mr. [George] Gilder [the latter two of the Discovery Institute] also object. The notion that "the whole universe contains no intelligence," Mr. Gilder said at Thursday's conference, is perpetuated by "Darwinian storm troopers."I know. It doesn't make much sense. But then, why would it?"Both Nazism and communism were inspired by Darwinism," he continued. "Why conservatives should toady to these storm troopers is beyond me."
Comments
Finally some effective examples of 'framing' science.
As others have pointed out before what Hitler and Stalin applied was not evolution but their own form of intelligent design.
Posted by: MartinC | May 5, 2007 11:11 AM
Ugh, the reporter didn't even say anything about how stupid that is! When someone says something as asinine as that the reporter (or editor) has to make sure that the reader knows it's idiotic. Bad job, NY Times, really bad job.
Posted by: Stuart Coleman | May 5, 2007 12:33 PM
"Both Nazism and communism were inspired by Darwinism,"
Which is an especially impressive claim given that The Communist Manifesto was published 11 years before The Origin of Species.
Posted by: Ian Gould | May 5, 2007 12:57 PM
Every time I hear this Darwin/Nazi shit I get a little more pissed off.
I'm amazed that some people go through life being that appallingly ignorant of both science and history. Or maybe they're just being appallingly deceptive.
Nazism was essentially a quasi-religious movement whose stated goal was to return the Aryans back to a romanticized (and fictional) time when the nation's blood was "pure" and people were uncorrupted by the decadence of modern culture. The Nazi concept of "fitness" had nothing to do with Darwin's concept of fitness as being well-adapted to the prevailing natural environment, but rather was an idealized caricature of what humans should be - an ideal they just pulled out of their asses because it was a reflecton of their own racism.
That's religious thinking, not science.
And in addition to the Communist Manifesto being published well before Origin of Species, clowns like West conveniently forget to mention that "Darwinism" was rejected in Stalinist Russia, while the crackpot policies of Lysenko were promoted.
These conservative luminaries couldn't make it past "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" - these clowns should be called out and their ignorance and dishonesty should be shouted from the rooftops.
Posted by: ZacharySmith | May 5, 2007 6:35 PM
I have been covering this issue for a while. Not only was Darwin not a racist, but indeed the exact opposite. He was an ardent abolitionist who helped to create the modern, and greatly diminished, view of race.
I have an article on the subject here:
http://www.rationalrevolution.net/articles/darwin_nazism.htm
"As man advances in civilization, and small tribes are united into larger communities, the simplest reason would tell each individual that he ought to extend his social instincts and sympathies to all the members of the same nation, though personally unknown to him. This point being once reached, there is only an artificial barrier to prevent his sympathies extending to the men of all nations and races. If, indeed, such men are separated from him by great differences in appearance or habits, experience unfortunately shews us how long it is, before we look at them as our fellow-creatures."
- Charles Darwin; The Descent of Man, 1871
Not only was Darwin not a racist, but Hitler was not a Darwinist and did not accept Darwinian evolution. Hitler was a creationist who said that races and species were crated by God and intended to remain distinct and separate.
Once again, the religious and perverted reality.
Posted by: R.G. Price | May 7, 2007 7:26 PM
i got a pretty good kick out of the last quote.
"Both Nazism and communism were inspired by Darwinism," he continued. "Why conservatives should toady to these storm troopers is beyond me."
Darwin was quite the perfect Nazi, eh?
Posted by: adam | May 7, 2007 10:36 PM