The expression often used by Mr. Herbert Spencer of the Survival of the Fittest is more accurate, and is sometimes equally convenient. 2
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Darwin accepts Herbert Spencer's term 'Survival of the Fittest' as a useful synonym.
- In plain terms
- Spencer's phrase for natural selection is accurate and convenient.
- What can you take from it?
- Clear terminology helps clarify evolutionary concepts.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why is naming concepts important?
- What does 'fittest' mean?
Another view
The phrase can be misinterpreted as justifying social policies.
More from Charles Darwin
We will now discuss in a little more detail the Struggle for Existence.
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