In America at the turn of the 20th century, many intellectual and philosophical movements were forming, causing people to reconsider many of their assumptions about life. In particular, people were evaluating the arguments made by Charles Darwin about the diversity of species in the world and applying Darwin’s conclusions to other areas of life, like human society and economics. (Note that the idea of ‘pragmatism’ is closely connected to ideas related to Darwinism in the text, so you can also look for applications of ‘pragmatism’).
Using material from your reading:
- Describe two particular ways that intellectual leaders applied Darwin’s ideas to society.
- Provide your own critique of these new intellectual trends. (Note: remember that providing a scholarly ‘critique’ is not the same thing as ‘criticizing.’ To provide a critique is to give your own assessment of an idea based on your own understanding of the material. Thus, you may agree or disagree with an idea you are critiquing, but in either case, you need to have legitimate reasons for your conclusions. Also, this forum is not meant to be about whether or not Darwin’s arguments about evolution or the diversity of species is legitimate or consistent with a Biblical worldview, so please stay on topic.)
