War has no longer the justification that it makes for the survival of the fittest; it involves the survival of the less fit. The idea that the struggle between nations is a part of the evolutionary law of man's advance involves a profound misreading of the biological analogy. The warlike nations do not inherit the earth; they represent the decaying human element....
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- War harms society more than it helps, misusing evolutionary analogies to justify conflict.
- In plain terms
- War kills people who should survive and wrongly uses science to excuse fighting.
- What can you take from it?
- War is not evolution; it harms progress.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does war drive evolution?
- How should we use biological analogies?
Another view
Historical narratives often favor militaristic interpretations of survival.
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