Problem:
In his 1859 book, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, Darwin argued that plant and animal life had evolved over the years by a process he called natural selection. In this process, those species that cannot adapt to the environment in which they live gradually die out, while those that do adapt live on and thrive. Darwin's theory, which explained biological developments over millions of years, was never intended to be applied to human society. Nevertheless, many individualists of the late 1800s, who became known as Social Darwinists, did attempt to apply natural selection to human society. The philosophy of Social Darwinism was championed by extreme individualists like Herbert Spencer and William Graham. They argued that society progressed and became better because of competition and natural selection when only the fittest survived. Not everyone agreed with the Social Darwinists. Lester Frank Ward, whose ideas became known as Reform Darwinism, rejected Social Darwinism because he believed people, unlike animals, could plan and felt that competition could be wasteful. Member of the Social Gospel and Settlement House movements rejected the idea of the "survival of the fittest" and worked hard to find new ways to help the urban poor.
Based on the reading Do you think the U.S. is improved when the government and private organizations help the less fortunate members of society? Need Assignment Help?