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Let's start with the word "Darwinism"

UserPost

12:17PM
Oct-22-08


Lee Daniel Crocker

Guest

Let's start with the word "Darwinism"–since there's no such thing. It's a pure propaganda word invented by anti-evolutionists to make it sound as if science is just another belief system or a political group. Languages, just like species, have evolved naturally for millennia before anyone got around to describing the process, and those who work at discovering nature's laws appreciate the head start Mr. Darwin gave us, but we certainly don't elevate him to the status of an "ism" or a revered figure any more than people who believe in gravity would call themselves "Newtonists".

12:29PM
Oct-22-08


Etymology Fan

Member

posts 114

You probably have a point. I think that another problematic issue surrounding the word “Darwinism” is its connection to the idea of “Social Darwinism,” which is a concept that wasn’t actually based on any of Charles Darwin’s ideas. When I hear people say that they don't like "Darwinism" or that they oppose "Darwinism," I think that it's frequently connected to the 19th Century concept of "Social Darwinism."