The term "social darwinism" is actually a misnomer.  The set of
justifications for european imperialism which the term invokes was actually
the brain child of a colleague (friend?) of Darwin's, Ed Spencer.  Darwin
didn't actual publish a set of social theories until well after the notion
of social darwinism had already been attributed to him--and I've read that
this misnomer was partially the reason for his even considering writing _The
Descent of Man_.


At 07:52 AM 6/27/00 -0400, you wrote:
>Pound sociological and political views resemble those of the "social
>darwinists".  The race and immigration policies of the industrialized