10. The gbs relies heavily on the theory of evolution. Doesn’t this amount to a legitimization of social Darwinism?

Charles Darwin revolutionized our view of the world more almost than any other single person. It is only since Darwin’s time that we have begun to realize who we are and where we come from. Unfortunately, great ideas are subject to great abuse, and the theory of evolution is no exception. We all know the terrible consequences of social Darwinism, especially in the first half of the 20th century. This cannot be glossed over. However, it must be remembered that social Darwinism, which Darwin himself abhorred, represents a gross distortion of the circumstances in nature. The natural world does not by any means involve just the ruthless enforcement of selfish interests at the cost of others; altruism, solidarity and empathy can also be found here. Apart from this, social Darwinism is based on the so-called naturalistic fallacy, namely the ill-considered notion that the survival of the fittest in the wild (what is) is also "what ought to be", i.e. supposedly implies a "right of the fittest".

Anyone familiar with science will know that the theory of evolution is not in any way an attempt to say how the world ought to be, but rather an explanation of how the world is, and why it came to be that way. How we as a human society should use the theory of evolution is not contained within that theory. This is not a question of empirical science, but of philosophical reflection, and this is precisely where evolutionary humanism comes in.

Evolutionary humanists interpret the knowledge of evolution in a humanistic way, and are totally opposed to all models of social Darwinism, which are an abuse of Darwin’s groundbreaking research, used in an attempt to legitimize inhuman actions. In agreement with the renowned evolutionary biologist Stephen J. Gould, evolutionary humanists firmly hold the rational conviction that Homo sapiens does indeed possess the potential to be a particularly gentle, clever and creative animal. So let us put everything into unlocking this positive potential! We do not know if we shall succeed in changing the course of humankind from a history filled with long episodes of inhumanity to one that in future develops in a more humane fashion. One thing we do know – from evolutionary theory in fact – is that the world is in a constant state of change. For humanists, who do not simply accept the suffering in the world, this can be seen as a genuine source of hope.