Did Nineteenth-CenturyCapitalistsWantthe Poorto Die? 17land’s leadingDarwinistthinkersa centuryago,summedup the GildedAgeviewof
safetynetsandsocialcontracts:‘Thewholeeffortof natureis to get rid of such’”—in
brackets,Derberinserts“the poor,” andthenhe continuesthe Spencerquotation—“to
clearthe worldof them,and makeroomfor better.... it is bestthattheydie.’”^71 Further,
HofstadterrepeatsSpencerverbatim,“He wholoseshis life becauseof his stupidity,vice
or idlenessis in the sameclassas the victimsof weakvisceraor malformedlimbs.Under
nature’s lawsall alikeare put on trial.”^72 JohnKennethGalbraithcontinuesthe repetition
of Spencer’s words—“Partlyby weedingout thoseof lowestdevelopment,and partlyby
subjectingthosewhoremainto the never-ceasingdisciplineof experience,naturesecures
the growthof a racewhoshallbothunderstandthe conditionsof existence,and be ableto
act up to them.It is impossiblein any degreeto suspendthis discipline.”^73
At thisjunctureAllanChasesnipes,“Smallwonderthe humanitarianDarwinhad
suchprofoundcontemptfor Spencer’s preachments.”^74 But thatdoesnot appearto be
CharlesDarwin’s ultimateassessmentwhenonereadshis ownwordsaboutSpencer.
Darwinwrotein one letterthathe “enjoyed” meetingSpencer“verymuch.” Morethan
that,Darwinwasin aweof Spencer,sayingof him,“I couldbear,and ratherenjoyfeeling
thathe wastwiceas ingeniousandcleveras myself,but whenI feel thathe is abouta
dozentimesmy superior,... I feel aggrieved.”^75 The sixtheditionofThe Originof Species
commentsupona casefor biologicalevolutionthatSpencerpresentedin his 1852essay
“TheDevelopmentHypothesis.” HereDarwinpraisesSpencer’s essayfor articulating
itself“withremarkableskilland force.”^76 In 1858,soonuponreadingthis essay,Darwin
wroteto Spencer,“Yourremarkson the generalargumentof the so-calleddevelopment
theoryseemto me admirable.I am... preparingan Abstractof a largerworkon the
changesof species”—The Originof Species—“but I treatthe subjectsimplyas a naturalist,
and not froma generalpointof view,otherwise,in my opinion,yourargumentcouldnot
havebeenimprovedon, and mighthavebeenquotedby me withgreatadvantage.”^77 In
anotherletter,this one from 1860 and addressedto a prominentgeologist,Darwinhailed
Spenceras one “whoputs,to my mind,the philosophyof the argument” for biological
evolution“betterthananyoneelse.. .”^78 ThenDarwinwrotein yet anotherletterthathe
thoughtthat Spencermightbe “by far the greatestlivingphilosopherin England;perhaps
equalto any thathavelived.”^79 Uponfinishinghis readof Spencer’s essayon his phrase
the survivalof the fittest, Darwinwroteto Spencerthat“... I cannotresistthe wishto
expressmy unboundedadmirationof yourarticle.... Everyonewitheyesto see and ears
to hear... oughtto bowtheirkneeto you,and I for one do.”^80
To someextent,I do thinkSpencersoundsa bit sympatheticto socialDarwinismin
onerespect.Spenceropenlywondersaboutwhetherit is entirelybadto refrainfrom
extendingthe livesof individualsstrickenwithcripplingheritableafflictions.He express-
es his compunctionaboutencouragingthosewithdebilitatingmaladies,suchas Type 1
diabetes—for whichtherewasstill no treatmentyearsafterSpencer’s death—to live long
enoughto bearchildren.Shouldthosewithinheritablediseasesprocreate,theywill there-
uponbequeaththeirpainfulconditionsto futuregenerations.That,Spencerwarns,“in-
creases” people’s “suffering,” ratherthandiminishesit. Suchtreatment“favoursthe
multiplicationof thoseworstfittedfor existence,and,by consequence,hindersthe multi-
plicationof thosebestfittedfor existence—leaving,as it does,less roomfor them.It tends
to fill the worldwiththoseto whomlife will bringmostpain,and tendsto keepout of it
thoseto whomlife willbringmostpleasure.” Yet thatconclusionof Spencer’s is not
drawnfroma generalhostilitytowardthe pooror sick.InsteadSpencertakesa somewhat
euthanisticstance,suggestingthatsometimesit maybe preferableto permita suffering
manto die withdignity,forgoingthe extensionof his agony.
The previouscommentsof Spencer’s fromwhichI quotedare in chapter28, section4,
of Spencer’s 1851treatiseSocialStatics. I am not surprisedthatJacoby,Black,Chase,