Survival of the fittest

Posted by Sarah on February 01, 2001

In Reply to: Survival of the fittest posted by ESC on March 04, 2000

I read that, and I agree that Darwin came up with the idea of the "Survival of the fittest." However, I have found pages and books that state Darwin never actually SAID it, and Karl Marx was the one who coined the term by using Darwin's ideas. Without knowing it though, Darwin came up with his theory after another scientist did, Mendel, who used it when talking about dominant and recessive genes. However, I still agree that Darwin came up with the idea, but he did not coin the phrase.

: : who coined the phrase "survival of the fittest"?

: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST -- From John Barlett's Quotations: Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882: "The expression used by Mr. Herbert Spencer, of the Survival of the Fittest, is more accurate, and is sometimes equally convenient." "Origin of the Species" .

: Mr. Spencer (1820-1903), according to my child's history book, was "social Darwinist Herbert Spencer, who objected even to public schools and postal system." And, according to my other child's paper on social Darwinism, "Social Darwinism is, essentially, the application of Darwin's Theory of Evolution in social relations.The best and the brightest survive while the weak and the slow die off.One of Social Darwinism's first (and greatest) proponents was Herbert Spencer."