Ace the AICE International History Exam 2026 – Unleash Your Inner History Buff!

Social Darwinism is fundamentally linked to the idea of "survival of the fittest," a phrase that derives from Charles Darwin's theories of natural selection in the context of biological evolution. This concept was misapplied to sociology and politics in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, suggesting that the principles of natural selection could be applied to human societies. Proponents of Social Darwinism argued that certain individuals or groups were inherently superior to others, which often justified imperialist and colonialist attitudes, as well as policies related to eugenics and social hierarchy.

This approach emphasized competition among nations and peoples, positing that those who were more "fit" would naturally dominate and succeed, while those deemed "less fit" would not survive in the societal context. Therefore, the correct answer reflects this core idea that human societal progress occurs through a natural selection process, mirroring the competition observed in nature.