Social Darwinism and Economic Laissez faire - Lecture 25 In Cycles of American Political Thought

 So, I wanted a solid definition, so I used google of course (my encyclopedia go to *lol*)

Social Darwinism is a social theory applying "survival of the fittest" to human society, while economic laissez-faire is a hands-off economic policy with minimal government intervention. These concepts often intersected during the late 19th century, with Social Darwinism providing a philosophical justification for laissez-faire capitalism by arguing that government intervention to help the poor or regulate businesses interfered with the "natural" competition that created stronger individuals and companies. 

Social Darwinism

• Core idea: Applies biological concepts of natural selection to social, economic, and political competition.
• Key tenet: The strong and "fittest" (in terms of wealth, status, or perceived ability) would naturally rise to the top, while the weak would fall behind.
• Justification for inequality: Argued that social and economic inequalities were not the result of unfair systems but were the natural outcome of a competitive process, with poverty being a sign of inherent inferiority. 

Economic Laissez-faire

• Core idea: An economic philosophy that advocates for minimal government interference in economic affairs.
• Key tenet: The government should not regulate businesses, set prices, or provide welfare, as this stifles free markets and competition.
• Goal: To allow the free market to operate on its own, with the belief that this would lead to greater overall prosperity and efficiency. 

The intersection

• Justifying minimal intervention: Social Darwinists used the concept of "survival of the fittest" to argue against government aid or regulation, claiming such actions interfered with the natural and necessary competition.
• Embracing competition: This ideology provided intellectual support for the harsh and competitive business practices of the time, as the success of a company was seen as proof of its inherent superiority.
• Leading to disparity: Together, these ideas fostered an environment with vast wealth disparities and harsh labor conditions, as government intervention to mitigate these problems was seen as counterproductive to human progress. 

William Graham Sumner

William Graham Sumner's statement, "man is not a creature of his environment, man is a creator of his environment," means that human beings are not simply passive products of their surroundings, but active agents who shape, transform, and influence the world around them through their actions, choices, beliefs, and technologies [1].

Key interpretations of this idea include:

• Active Agency: Humans possess free will and the capacity to make choices that alter their circumstances, rather than merely reacting to external forces.
• Cultural and Social Shaping: People develop their own social institutions, moral codes (folkways and mores), and technologies, which in turn define their environment and quality of life [1, 2]. These man-made systems become the dominant forces in their lives, more so than the natural landscape alone.
• Transcendence: The human spirit and intellect can rise above physical limitations and natural conditions. Through ingenuity and hard work, individuals and societies can overcome environmental challenges.
• Responsibility: The concept implies that humans are responsible for the conditions they create, both positive and negative, including social inequalities or technological advancements [1]. 

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In essence, Sumner argued against a purely deterministic view of human behavior, suggesting that while the natural environment is a factor, the truly significant "environment" for humans is the one they construct themselves [1, 2]. 

D. Note the parallels between his life story and his analysis and

prescription.

1. He made it on his own.

2. Others have a moral obligation to do the same.

IV. Sumner sees human nature as intrinsically self-interested.

A. “Men are greedy and covetous…they will be selfish and tyrannical

if they dare.”

B. He discusses no other dimensions of human nature.

1. There is no treatment of virtue or benevolence.

2. This is not to say that Sumner did not think such attributes

existed, just that they were systemically irrelevant.

3. Essentially, men are rational calculators of their own good.

C. Sumner rejects a broad conception of natural rights.

1. “There can be no rights against Nature, except to get out of

her whatever we can, which is only the fact of the struggle for

existence stated over again.”

2. Life is competition, and competition arises from material

reality.

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(Personal Note:  I actually have a book by William Graham Sumner titled Folkways.  I got it at bookbuyers when Mountain View had one I could walk to. I haven't read it yet, but now it's gone further up my to be read  (tbr) list.)

A pause to look up term:

Economic conservatism is a political ideology that advocates for limited government intervention in the economy through policies like lower taxes, reduced spending, and less regulation. Proponents believe that a free market and individual liberty foster economic growth and national competitiveness, ultimately benefiting society as a whole. Key tenets include supporting free markets and individual responsibility, and generally opposing government-led wealth redistribution programs. 

Core principles

• Limited government: 

  Believes the government should have a smaller role in economic affairs, which translates to lower taxes and less spending. 
Free markets: 
Supports a competitive marketplace with minimal government interference, arguing that this approach leads to greater prosperity. 
Individual liberty and responsibility: 
Emphasizes that individuals are best equipped to make their own economic decisions and are responsible for their own success. 
Less regulation: 
Favors reducing government regulations on businesses, with the belief that this encourages innovation and growth. 

Related concepts

Fiscal conservatism: 
A related term that specifically focuses on the government's fiscal policies, such as balanced budgets and controlling national debt. 
Free trade: 
Economic conservatives generally support free trade agreements, believing they promote economic efficiency and competition, though there can be some debate on global competition among different factions. 

William Graham Sumner used the term "publicly sanctioned robbery" to describe how a group could gain control of the state apparatus and use its authority and legal framework to legitimize the forceful transfer of wealth or rights from others to themselves. 

In his writings, particularly those related to sociology and social class, Sumner argued that:

• Certain groups would seize control of the civil organization (the State) to serve their own interests.
• They would use the "poetry and romance" (i.e., the high-minded ideals and prestige) of the state as a "glamour" to make their self-serving actions appear lawful and just.
• These groups would take all the power, glory, and rights for themselves while shifting the burdens and duties onto others in society. 

Essentially, what would be considered robbery if done by an individual is made legal and acceptable when carried out through the mechanisms of the state by powerful interests.

Personal thoughts: This little bit makes me imagine Trump's face. ^(The above stuff)

C. Governmental interference in the human competition is wrong on

two dimensions.

1. It is immoral in that it absolves individuals of their

responsibility for self-improvement.

2. It is socially dysfunctional and inefficient because it impedes

progress

IX. Darwinists are often linked to Jefferson’s and Jackson’s general

laissez-faire ideas.

A. In this way, they represent a cyclical turning of the philosophical

wheel.

B. Recall, however, that for Jefferson especially, freedom was an

intrinsically political value.

C. It had economic applications—Locke did couple it with property,

after all—but at its core, freedom was about man’s political and

social development.

1. Jefferson did not revel in the freedom to create large

aggregations of capital.

2. In fact, he despised and feared them as threatening to the

agrarian lifestyle.

3. Later, a similar perspective led Jackson and Taney to fight the

Bank of the United States.

D. Though not a close lineal descendent of the philosophy of

Jefferson and Jackson, Social Darwinism is clearly a liberal

philosophy.

1. It is focused on the individual, liberty, equality, consent, and

limited government.

2. In many ways, it provided the base for “modern” economic

“conservativism,” as we will see in Lecture Thirty-Five.

3. At the time, it served as a defense for the existing state of

affairs in light of challenges from other theories within, as

well as from outside of, liberalism.

Suggested Readings:

Richard Hofstadter, “Social Darwinism in America,” in The American

Political Tradition.

Richard Hofstadter, Social Darwinism in American Thought.

Robert G. McCloskey, American Conservatism in the Age of Enterprise: A

Study of William Graham Sumner, Stephen J. Field, and Andrew Carnegie.

William Graham Sumner, On Liberty, Society, and Politics: The Essential

Essays of William Graham Sumner.

Questions to Consider:

1. How does Sumner’s version of liberalism compare to the variations of

it at the time of the Revolution?

2. What is the relationship between his understanding of political

liberalism and economic laissez-faire (capitalism)?

Definition:

na·tion·al·ize

/ˈnaSH(ə)nəˌlīz/

verb

gerund or present participle: nationalizing

1. 1.

   transfer (a major branch of industry or commerce) from private to state ownership or control.

   "the Bank of England was nationalized in the winter of 1946–7"
2. 2.

   make distinctively national; give a national character to.

   "in the 13th and 14th centuries church designs were further nationalized"

II. Intellectual disciplines often borrow successful paradigms from other

disciplines.

C. Herbert Spencer, an English journalist-philosopher-author, first

applied this evolutionary biological perspective to human conduct

in First Principles (1861).

D. Spencer and other Social Darwinists both acted in, and reacted to,

their environments.

1. They picked up on the material themes and foci animating

active state liberalism and non-liberal critiques of industrial

capitalism.

2. In defense of capitalism—an economic, not political,

system—they tweaked the variables of liberalism and framed

them in an economic context.

3. This is seen most pointedly in their conceptualizations of

freedom and equality.