From Darwin to Hitler: Evolutionary Ethics, Eugenics, and Racism in Germany (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Darwin neatly summed up his view of ethics and morality in his Autobiography, stating that one who does not believe in God or an afterlife-as..." (more)
Key Phrases: other eugenicists, evolutionary ethics, devaluing human life, Monist League, World War, Ethical Culture Society (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is one of the finest examples of intellectual history I have seen in a long while. It is insightful, thoughtful, informative, and highly readable. Rather than simply connecting the dots, so to speak, the author provides a sophisticated and nuanced examination of numerous German thinkers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who were influenced to one degree or another by Darwinist naturalism and their ideas, subtly drawing both distinctions and similarities and in the process telling a rich and colorful story."-- Ian Dowbiggin, Professor of History at the University of Prince Edward Island and author of A Merciful End: The Euthanasia Movement in Modern America
"Richard Weikart's outstanding book shows in sober and convincing detail how Darwinist thinkers in Germany had developed an amoral attitude to human society by the time of the First World War, in which the supposed good of the race was applied as the sole criterion of public policy and 'racial hygiene'. Without over-simplifying the lines that connected this body of thought to Hitler, he demonstrates with chilling clarity how policies such as infanticide, assisted suicide, marriage prohibitions and much else were being proposed for those considered racially or eugenically inferior by a variety of Darwinist writers and scientists, providing Hitler and the Nazis with a scientific justification for the policies they pursued once they came to power."--Dr. Richard Evans, Professor of Modern History, University of Cambridge, and author of The Coming of the Third Reich
"This is an impressive piece of intellectual and cultural history--a well-researched, clearly presented argument with good, balanced, fair judgements. Weikart has a thorough knowledge of the relevant historiography in both German and English."--Alfred Kelly, Edgar B. Graves Professor of History, Hamilton College
"Taking a middle ground between scholars on both sides, Richard Weikart has traveled far and wide to bring together a broad range of important programs, institutions, and thinkers who shaped the social and political ramification of Darwinian thought in late nineteenth and early twentieth century Germany. Many of the voices Weikart conveys appear here in English for the first time."-- Kevin Repp, Yale University

Product Description

From Darwin to Hitler elucidates the revolutionary impact Darwinism had on ethics and morality. Weikart demonstrates that many leading Darwinian biologists and social thinkers in Germany believed that Darwinism overturned traditional Judeo-Christian and Enlightenment ethics, especially the view that human life is sacred. Many of these thinkers supported moral relativism, yet simultaneously exalted evolutionary "fitness" (especially intelligence and health) as the highest arbiter of morality. Darwinism played a key role in the rise not only of eugenics, but also euthanasia, infanticide, abortion, and racial extermination. This thinking had its biggest impact on Germany, since Hitler built his view of ethics on Darwinian principles, not on nihilism as popularly believed.

See all Editorial Reviews

---

Product Details Hardcover: 324 pages Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; 1st edition (May 7, 2004) Language: English ISBN-10: 1403965021 ISBN-13: 978-1403965028 Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1 inches Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #710,040 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

---

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's Richard Weikart Page

Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Darwin neatly summed up his view of ethics and morality in his Autobiography, stating that one who does not believe in God or an afterlife-as he did not-"can have for his rule of life, as far as I can see, only to follow those impulses and instincts which are the strongest or which seem to him the best one." Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
other eugenicists, evolutionary ethics, devaluing human life, biological inequality, race hygiene, leading eugenicists, racist eugenics, humanitarian ethics, euthanasia movement, racial extermination, biological degeneration, biological racism, racial theorists, moral traits, human inequality, racial state, criminal anthropology

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Monist League, World War, Ethical Culture Society, Mein Kampf, German Darwinists, University of Berlin, American Indians, Das Ausland, United States, Pan-German League, Deutschlands Erneuerung, University of Freiburg, Darwin's Origin of Species, The Natural History of Creation, Theodor Fritsch, University of Munich, University of Vienna, East Asians, Eduard David, Felix von Luschan, University of Leipzig, Yellow Peril, Archery Club, Gerhart Hauptmann, Golden Rule

New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 100 books:

• The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin on 17 pages
• On the Origin of Species (Penguin Classics) by Charles Darwin on 17 pages
• Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler on 12 pages
• The Descent of Man (Great Minds Series) by Charles Darwin on 9 pages
• Socialist Darwinism by Richard Weikart on 5 pages

See all 100 books this book cites

 

5 books cite this book:

• Feminism and Motherhood in Western Europe, 1890-1970: The Maternal Dilemma by Prof. Ann Taylor Allen in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
• Darwinian Conservatism (Societas S.) by Larry Arnhart in Back Matter
• A Mind for God by James Emery White in Back Matter
• By Design or By Chance? The Growing Controversy on the Origins of Life in the Universe by Denyse O'Leary in Back Matter
• Colonialism and Genocide by Moses/Stone on page 35

---

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Discusses:

• other eugenicists
• race hygiene
• leading eugenicists

The Eugenics Movement by Ruth C. Engs

Discusses:

• other eugenicists
• race hygiene
• eugenic reform

Evolution And Ethics by Philip Clayton

Discusses:

• evolutionary ethics
• biological degeneration
• moral traits

The Idea of Decline in Western History by Arthur Herman

Discusses:

• other eugenicists
• Monist League
• Pan-German League

Quality and Quantity by William H. Schneider

Discusses:

• race hygiene
• eugenic goals
• international eugenics congress

Anti-Semitism and Schooling Under the Third Reich by Gregory Paul Wegner

Discusses:

• other eugenicists
• race hygiene
• racial state

Discusses: other eugenicists race hygiene leading eugenicists The Eugenics Movement by Ruth C. Engs Discusses: other eugenicists race hygiene eugenic reform Evolution And Ethics by Philip Clayton Discusses: evolutionary ethics biological degeneration moral traits The Idea of Decline in Western History by Arthur Herman Discusses: other eugenicists Monist League Pan-German League Loading...

---

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	85% buy the item featured on this page: From Darwin to Hitler: Evolutionary Ethics, Eugenics, and Racism in Germany 4.2 out of 5 stars (19) $72.00
	5% buy Eugenics and Other Evils : An Argument Against the Scientifically Organized State 4.5 out of 5 stars (11) $7.29
	4% buy War Against the Weak: Eugenics and America's Campaign to Create a Master Race 4.5 out of 5 stars (26) $17.82
	3% buy Pure Society: From Darwin to Hitler 5.0 out of 5 stars (1) $21.27

Explore similar items

---

Suggested Tags from Similar Products  (What's this?) Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product). Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below.  eugenics(15) history(9) breathtaking inanity(12) intelligent design(9) creationism(8) propaganda(8) lies(6) holocaust(4) evolution(3) chesterton(3) Your tags: Add your first tag

Search Products Tagged with   See most popular tags

---

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

---

 

Customer Reviews

19 Reviews 5 star:  (11) 4 star:  (3) 3 star:  (3) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 4.2 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 36 of 40 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A must for anyone interested in Nazi Germany, May 17, 2004 By A Customer The subject of Nazi Germany still is a very popular topic for books, articles and public discussion. Having read many books and articles on this area of history, I can confidently conclude that this is one of the most important (and one of the best scholarly sources). In contrast to many authors who quote each other (and must rely on secondary sources printed in English), Weikart's work relies heavily on primary sources published in German during the time he is covering. Weikart is fluent in the language (I only studied it to pass my Ph.D. reading exams) and lived in Germany to do his research. As a result, Weikart includes much new material for scholars to mull over for the next century. He covers the basic question asked about this era, namely, why did Nazism start and grow in the most educated nation in the world and why did so many scientists (especially biologists of various types) and medical doctors firmly side with Nazism? Understanding why Nazism happened is critical to insure that it never happens again. This work focuses on the major influence of Darwinism, but also covers in a very balanced way other influences. Like a story, he develops a major point in each chapter, building onto the story and his conclusion. The 42 pages of notes fully document his conclusions. This book is a must for anyone interested in not only Nazi Germany but the whole question of the source of morality and ethics. 42 of 51 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Hitler's Social Darwinism, October 2, 2005 By  Larry Arnhart (DeKalb, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: From Darwin to Hitler: Evolutionary Ethics, Eugenics, and Racism in Germany (Paperback) The review by G. Sherwood is silly. He criticizes Weikart's book for not showing how the eugenics movement in the United States provided a model for Hitler. But that's not the concern of Weikart's book, which is to provide an intellectual history of the orgins of Nazism in German social Darwinism. I disagree with Weikart. I think the title of his book should be "From Haeckel to Darwin," because I think Daniel Gasman has shown conclusively that Ernst Haeckel was the primary ideological influence on Nazism and Hitler. Actually, if you look at the index to Weikart's book, you will see more references to Haeckel than to any other person. But I agree with Weikart that Hitler and his Nazis exploited an ambiguity in Darwinian biology that could be used to promote racism and eugenics. Hitler was able to use the Darwinian language of "survival of the fittest" to promote his own schemes. This is the dark side of Darwinian science. The problem is that there is little evidence that Darwin himself promoted Nazi eugenics. In fact, the social Darwinists that influenced the Nazi movement often disagreed with Darwin's account of the natural moral sense, as Weikart indicates. And yet Weikart does show very clearly the intellectual history of Nazi racism as the product of a distorted Darwinian legacy. For that, we should be grateful. 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening view of western civ during the post enlightenment period, November 25, 2008 By  D. Thomas Eller "Bound by Tom" (NJ, all the way) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: From Darwin to Hitler: Evolutionary Ethics, Eugenics, and Racism in Germany (Paperback) This is a great book on post enlightenment Germany and the impact of enlightenment thinking on the German people. It explains the true causes of WWI and WWII the German belief in racial superiority. It shows how science becoming the new religion was able to be infused with politics. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys WWII especially Hitler and the Nazi Party.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars Hitler drew from philosophers and intellectuals more than from Darwin This book reveals a lot about German intellectuals and their love of the "mad" philosophers who called for a superior race and a "Superman Leader. Read more Published 4 months ago by William C. Greene 4.0 out of 5 stars The tortuous, convoluted path from Darwin to Hitler. This is an excellent overview of late 19th -early 20th century German `Social Darwinism', detailing the widespread politicisation of intellectualism and `science' in Germany, well... Read more Published 5 months ago by Roger McEvilly (the guilty bys... 5.0 out of 5 stars Morality on its head From Darwin to Hitler is controversial because its author is associated with the Discovery Institute, an organization that advocates intelligent design and criticizes naturalistic... Read more Published 8 months ago by A. Omelianchuk 5.0 out of 5 stars Darwinisms Sinister Secrets I have just finished reading this brilliant book and was given a first rate educational experience by Dr. Weikart. Read more Published on October 4, 2007 by Roger Edward Paull 5.0 out of 5 stars So far, this book is great, BUT BE WARNED . . . I have only started into reading this book and can't yet say anything about its ideas. Content-wise, I am expecting it will have a five-star rating. Read more Published on January 28, 2007 by Aunt Turtle 5.0 out of 5 stars History as it is! As an undergrad history major I stumbled upon this book preparing for a paper. I have to admit that I found this book to be uncommonly interesting. Read more Published on November 23, 2006 by Joshua B. Hughes 5.0 out of 5 stars Materialism + Science = Destruction As the wars over what is taught in the science classroom wage on, it is worthwhile to consider the effects of scientific beliefs on philosophy and social science. Read more Published on April 17, 2006 by J. E. Smith 4.0 out of 5 stars Darwin's Moral Horizon Described This study is a worthy addition to the literature on Social Darwinism, eugenics, and the origin of Nazi `social hygiene'. Read more Published on January 28, 2006 by Hiram Caton 1.0 out of 5 stars sad decline for a good historian Weikart used to be a historian committed to historical truth. Those aware of his connection to the so-called "Discovery Institute" already had reason enough to be wary; upon... Read more Published on December 4, 2005 3.0 out of 5 stars Americans have to take some responsibilty. Weikart's "Darwin to Hitler" conveniently glosses over the American eugenics movement. Long before Hitler came to power, eugenicists in the U.S. Read more Published on September 14, 2005 by G. Sherwood Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

---

Customer Discussions

This product's forum Discussion Replies Latest Post Why Evolution is a Fraud 11 July 2009 › See all discussions...   [Start the discussion] Start a new discussion Topic: First post: Receive e-mail when new posts are made Prompts for sign-in   Guidelines Active discussions in related forums Discussion Replies Latest Post science Atheist Richard Dawkins makes liars out of forum Darwininsts who claim science can explain a natural origin to life 567 4 minutes ago science Global warming is nothing but a hoax and a scare tactic 3892 10 minutes ago history Human Biodiversity, history and modernity: Murray, Sailer, Derbyshire. 531 15 minutes ago history Why does Holocaust Fabrication Exist? 264 22 minutes ago medicine Medical fraud, let's count the ways ... 9 5 hours ago textbook Anyone need psychology testbook- trying to sell a used copy 2 1 day ago textbook textbook scam 72 1 day ago medicine Am I a dead woman? or what? 12 10 days ago Search Customer Discussions Only search this product's forum

The History community Latest activity 1 hour ago 22,037 customers have contributed 29,050 products, 808 discussions and more... › Explore the community The Textbook community Latest activity 2 hours ago 3,001 customers have contributed 3,654 products, 19 discussions and more... › Explore the community The Science community Latest activity 48 minutes ago 10,140 customers have contributed 9,498 products, 1,023 discussions and more... › Explore the community Related forums history (808 discussions) medicine (13 discussions) science (1023 discussions) textbook (19 discussions) Explore more › See all Customer Communities › Your communities

---

Listmania!

Conservatives who Shock, Awe and Refute Liberalism: A list by qqviewer231 "qqviewer231"   Conservative Books: A list by Robert   Earth Threat #6: Genocide: A list by Robert D. Steele Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

So You'd Like to...

Read some amazing books: A guide by Jazzy J   delve into Chesterton: A guide by Gord Wilson "alivingdog.com" Create a guide

Search Guides

---

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > History > Europe > England
• Books > History > Europe > Germany
• Books > History > World
• Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > Ethics & Morality
• Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Anthropology > Cultural
• Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Discrimination & Racism
• Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Sociology > Culture
• Books > Professional & Technical > Medical > Medicine > Medical Ethics
• Books > Science > Evolution
• Books > Science > Technology > History of Technology

---

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:
Ethics, Evolutionary
Eugenics - Germany - History
Germany - Race relations
Racism - Germany
Archaeology / Anthropology
Anthropology - Cultural
Europe - Germany
History / Europe / Germany
History : Europe - Germany
Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural
Discrimination & Racism
Ethics & Moral Philosophy
European history
Evolution
History of Western philosophy
Impact of science & technology on society
Eugenics
Systems Of Ethics
History
History: World
Sociology
Germany
Racism
Philosophy


i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Ad feedback

 

Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to all feedback submitted via this form, but we'll ask you to sign in so we can contact you if needed.

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

› View and edit your browsing history

Get to Know Us Careers Investor Relations Press Releases Amazon and Our Planet Make Money with Us Sell on Amazon Join Associates Self-publish with Us › See all Let Us Help You Shipping Rates & Policies Amazon Prime Returns Help

Canada | China | France | Germany | Japan | United Kingdom  And don't forget: Amazon Windowshop | AmazonWireless | Askville | Audible | DPReview | Endless | IMDb | Shopbop | SoundUnwound | Warehouse Deals by Amazon | Zappos Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Hardcover: 324 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; 1st edition (May 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403965021
• ISBN-13: 978-1403965028
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #710,040 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for anyone interested in Nazi Germany, May 17, 2004

By A Customer

The subject of Nazi Germany still is a very popular topic for books, articles and public discussion. Having read many books and articles on this area of history, I can confidently conclude that this is one of the most important (and one of the best scholarly sources). In contrast to many authors who quote each other (and must rely on secondary sources printed in English), Weikart's work relies heavily on primary sources published in German during the time he is covering. Weikart is fluent in the language (I only studied it to pass my Ph.D. reading exams) and lived in Germany to do his research. As a result, Weikart includes much new material for scholars to mull over for the next century. He covers the basic question asked about this era, namely, why did Nazism start and grow in the most educated nation in the world and why did so many scientists (especially biologists of various types) and medical doctors firmly side with Nazism? Understanding why Nazism happened is critical to insure that it never happens again. This work focuses on the major influence of Darwinism, but also covers in a very balanced way other influences. Like a story, he develops a major point in each chapter, building onto the story and his conclusion. The 42 pages of notes fully document his conclusions. This book is a must for anyone interested in not only Nazi Germany but the whole question of the source of morality and ethics.

42 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hitler's Social Darwinism, October 2, 2005

By	Larry Arnhart (DeKalb, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: From Darwin to Hitler: Evolutionary Ethics, Eugenics, and Racism in Germany (Paperback)

The review by G. Sherwood is silly.

He criticizes Weikart's book for not showing how the eugenics movement in the United States provided a model for Hitler. But that's not the concern of Weikart's book, which is to provide an intellectual history of the orgins of Nazism in German social Darwinism.

I disagree with Weikart. I think the title of his book should be "From Haeckel to Darwin," because I think Daniel Gasman has shown conclusively that Ernst Haeckel was the primary ideological influence on Nazism and Hitler. Actually, if you look at the index to Weikart's book, you will see more references to Haeckel than to any other person.

But I agree with Weikart that Hitler and his Nazis exploited an ambiguity in Darwinian biology that could be used to promote racism and eugenics. Hitler was able to use the Darwinian language of "survival of the fittest" to promote his own schemes. This is the dark side of Darwinian science.

The problem is that there is little evidence that Darwin himself promoted Nazi eugenics. In fact, the social Darwinists that influenced the Nazi movement often disagreed with Darwin's account of the natural moral sense, as Weikart indicates.

And yet Weikart does show very clearly the intellectual history of Nazi racism as the product of a distorted Darwinian legacy. For that, we should be grateful.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening view of western civ during the post enlightenment period, November 25, 2008

By	D. Thomas Eller "Bound by Tom" (NJ, all the way) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: From Darwin to Hitler: Evolutionary Ethics, Eugenics, and Racism in Germany (Paperback)

This is a great book on post enlightenment Germany and the impact of enlightenment thinking on the German people. It explains the true causes of WWI and WWII the German belief in racial superiority. It shows how science becoming the new religion was able to be infused with politics. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys WWII especially Hitler and the Nazi Party.