The Influence of Social Darwinism on Progressive Era Political Thought and Policy

Abstract

The Progressive Era was marked by many competing political philosophies. One prominent philosophy was social Darwinism. Different philosophers, however, had different ways in which they applied socially Darwinist philosophies. This work seeks to examine two seemingly oppositional strains of Darwinism - laissez faire and social control - and the influence they exerted on similar policies during the Progressive Era.