Ooops! How American Laissez-Faire Capitalists Misinterpreted Herbert Spencer

 

This week’s New Yorker has a fascinating article about Herbert Spencer, the man credited with coining the phrase “survival of the fittest.” Ironically it’s been used to promote survival of the fattest – cats that is.

Herbert Spencer was an English philosopher and social commentator who strongly influenced Darwin, and was hailed for his ideas about evolution and the natural way of things. His phrase “survival of the fittest” was zealously embraced by late 19th century industrialists like Andrew Carnegie and used to support their preferred form of laissez-faire capitalism.

Basically they wanted government to keep its hands off business and let the strongest man/company win – no matter what tactics are used. It’s just the way of nature, they said, pointing to Spencer’s ideas.