Title Author Date

Darwin's "The Descent of Man" Bratton, Al Aug 21, 2005

A recent Washington Times reprinted article by Steve Sailer (referenced by
Media Matters website http:mediamatters.org/items/200508170001 "Washington
Times promotes "white nationalist" website") charged that Darwin indicated
a racist tone in his "The Descent of Man" publication.

I am interested in finding out the truth about this accusation made by the
right-wing element in America. Can you help me?

Can you refer me to the right Web site to search for this information if
you don't know the answer?

I am a progressive,anti-Intelligent Design, rationalist, and free-lance
writer of sorts.

I subscribe to your newsletter.

Thank you for your attention to my inquiry. Looking forward to your reply.

Al Bratton,

Title Author Date

Darwin's 'The Descent of Man' TalkReason , Aug 21, 2005

Dear Al:

The accusation against Darwin himself and
of his followers of "racism" is a staple in anti-evolution literature, including in extreme cases even an accusation that Nazism, Communism, and various other bad "isms" stemmed from "Darwinism." Such accusations have no foundation in facts. Darwin himself was very far from being a racist and "Darwinism" in no way can serve as a base for racism. On The Panda's Thumb weblog there is some material on this subject which can be found through a reasonably fast search. The Washington Times is owned by the Reverend Moon and apparently this affects their editorial policy.

Talk Reason

Title Author Date

Darwin's 'The Descent of Man' Elphick, Michael Aug 24, 2005

Why don't you take a look at Darwin's 1871 publicatation 'Descent of Man', which you can find at www.infidels.org/library/historical/charles_darwin/descent_of_man

It is quite clear that he considered civilised races and nations superior to what he called 'savages', but this was based on the observation that: 'civilised nations are everywhere supplanting barbarous nations'. He imagined a succession of races with the more successful and productive replacing the old and inferior. However, he also noted that some 'savages' were more able to resist certain diseases than civilised people. With regard to the use of the term 'civilised nation' or 'civilised races', we are left in some doubt about to whom he is referring.

Darwin did seem to believe that the black 'negro' and Australian [aborigine] were 'lower' on the evolutionary scale compared with the white man - in that respect he was a racist. He even states 'At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilised races of man will almost certainly exterminate, and replace, the savage races throughout the world'. Is that a racist comment or a prediction that has come true?

These are remarks that the anti-evolution movement latches on to, but I do think you have to look at it in the context of the time he was writing. Like most people, no one then could have imagined the subtleties and richness of culture and knowledge of these so-called primitive 'savages' and no one could have imagined that such a 'savage' could have the same intellectual powers as an educated and affluent English Gentleman! The evidence he used was probably flawed for this reason, too; for example brain size.

Charles Darwin is normally very good at presenting both sides of an argument; for example the statement (made by someone else): 'The careless, squalid, unaspiring Irishman multiplies like rabbits' is countered with '..the intemperate suffer from a high rate of mortality'.