|
|
Article: Social Darwinism in European and American Thought: 1860-1945, Nature as Model and Nature as Threat.(Review)
- Article from:
- American Political Science Review
- Article date:
- December 1, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Cambridge University Press. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
By Mike Hawkins. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 344p. $69.95 cloth, $27.95 paper.
Gary R. Johnson, Lake Superior State University
"Social Darwinism" is a moral and political indictment in contemporary discourse. Use of this term is therefore a contested practice. Since virtually no one claims to be a Social Darwinist, the contest is really over how broad a group may be indicted under this epithet. Mike Hawkins's book, Social Darwinism in European and American Thought, 18601945, is (1) an attempt to expand greatly the size of the group that may be charged under this indictment, and (2) a defense of some who would otherwise be found guilty ...