It is no secret that Darwin's theory of natural selection and evolution, outlined in Origin of Species, has been applied to social theory, giving rise to social Darwinism. But are we correct in assuming that Social Darwinism is simply an excerpt from evolutionary theory, an extrapolation from an impartial scientific treatise, or that the ideas of the Origin of Species might be influenced by a pre-existing social theory? Darwin may in fact have had an imperialist social agenda, that is, an emerging form of Social Darwinism, in mind when he wrote his famous book, as evidenced by his deliberate choice of ambiguous language which may allude to social relations as well as natural relations. In many passages in On the Origin of Species, Darwin uses terminology that could refer to plants or animals in nature, but which could also refer to humans in society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Darwin believed that one of the goals of any species is to continue its existence; a species can only do this by evolving, adapting in response to changes in the environment. Darwin's evolutionary theory can be briefly summarized in five principles: overpopulation, variation, competition or struggle for survival, survival of the fittest, and heredity. He argues that each species tends to overpopulate or, in other words, produce too many offspring to be able to sustain the resources of a given region. The result of overpopulation is that individuals must compete with other individuals of the same species, with individuals of other species, and with natural forces for food, shelter, reproduction, etc. Each species also exhibits a variety of traits, so that, Darwin proposed, individuals possessing traits best suited for survival in their environment are most likely to survive and reproduce, thereby passing on these favorable traits to their offspring. In this way, nature will select the most suitable individuals and allow them to reproduce, so that over time an entire species will exhibit favorable or adaptable traits. Changes in the environment, such as climate change or the immigration of foreign species, will cause a given species to adapt and evolve over time to accommodate these changes. Darwin's writing oscillates between passages describing general ideas and passages providing illuminating examples. It is in the first case that Darwin occasionally uses language ambiguously referring to animals in nature or humans in society. Take for example this passage: For in all countries, the natives have been so won over by naturalized productions, that they have allowed foreigners to take firm possession of the land. And as the foreigners have thus everywhere beaten some natives, we may conclude with certainty that the natives could have been modified with advantage, so as to better resist such intruders. Darwin 132Is this a passage from a scientific treatise or a passage from a racist imperialist manifesto? Out of context, it is difficult to say conclusively. Darwin's terms "native", "alien", and "intruder" can refer to groups of plants or animals, but could just as easily refer to groups of people, or even specific groups. The “foreigners,” for example, could be Europeans or, more precisely, English. The natives..