This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin,
and Nov. 24 marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species,
the landmark work in which Darwin laid forth his theory of natural
selection. While celebrations have emphasized the British naturalist's
giant role in the advancement of human progress, British political
journalist Dennis Sewell is not convinced. In a new book, The Political Gene: How Darwin's Ideas Changed Politics,
he highlights how often — and how easily — Darwin's big idea has been
harnessed for sinister political ends. According to Sewell, evolution
is scientifically undeniable, but its contribution to human well-being
is unclear. Should we reassess Darwin's legacy?
Bicentennial celebrations have portrayed Darwin as a kindly old
gentleman pottering around an English house and garden. What that
misses is the way his ideas were abused in the 20th century and the way
in which Darwin was wrong about certain key issues. He asserted that
different races of mankind had traveled different distances along the
evolutionary path — white Caucasians were at the top of the racial
hierarchy, while black and brown people ranked below. [Racism] was a
widespread prejudice in British society at the time, but he presented
racial hierarchy as a matter of science. He also held that the poor
were genetically second-rate — which inspired eugenics.
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