Date: Tue, 16 Feb 99 11:02:35 EST
From: "Brian J. Callahan" <Brian=J.=Callahan%MT%DFCI-AT-EYE.DFCI.HARVARD.EDU>
Subject: Re: Darwin etc


Chris writes:
>Maybe I missed it somewhere in the "free and frank" exchanges about Darwin
>and survival of the fittest -- but it seems strange that no-one has offered
>up Kropotkin's thesis (although maybe Chuck or Brian mentioned this)...that
>the mjority of competititon that goes on is INTER SPECIES..... for the niche
>in the environment, rather than INTRA SPECIES (to "eradicate" the "weak"
>elements). From this it follows that the most succesful animals are those
>that have learned to cooperate together in ever more complex fashion....ie
>US.

I did mention the benefits of mutual aid for both the species and individual, 
but I didn't go into detail as to why.  Good summary.  

>The Huxley type application of Darwin to social contexts...and down to
>individual situations is so far removed from even Darwin's ideas (at least
>as I understand them) as to make the association in name only. Now, some
>discussion of the way in which crude social darwinist thought/phrases
>prevades the current political/economic language and actions is perhaps
>worth looking at more.

Yes.  When I've been in social situations with high level managers or the 
wealthy (I sometimes like to go slumming in the yuppie bars of Boston...we do 
bring a flask), their justification for their position is usually some 
crude/vague social darwinist position, not that the've read Huxley or 
anything, it's just part of the ambience of power--the fact you made it there 
means you deserved to.  They also often have contempt for the political power 
of ordinary people,i.e. democracy.  One manager of a high tech company whom I 
met said she didn't think people who've "failed" in life should have any 
input into the government.  They'll just make "loser" decisions and bring 
down the whole country.  Oh and a classic on how all people now have equal 
opportunity: "Any kid can go to the Library and surf the Web."  That was 
enough, as she saw it, to even things up.

She didn't like it when my friend and I started laughing at her when we could 
no longer keep a straight face.  Ah, well, another networking opportunity 
lost...