What is Social Darwinism? Social Darwinism is a sociological hypothesis that gained popularity in the United States in the 19th century. The theory combines Charles Darwin's feelings on the issue of natural selection and several theories coined by Herbert Spencer to justify racism, imperialism, and conservative economic and social policies. Those who believed in this theory argued that people and communities, just like animals or plants, had to compete with each other if they wanted to succeed in life. Proponents used this claim to justify that individuals who were successful economically, politically, or socially rightfully belonged at that top because they had fought others and had actually proven themselves to be best suited to be at the top (Bannister, 2016). Any political or social intervention that destabilized the existing order, they argued, would severely affect the natural order. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay On the other hand, opponents of the theory of Social Darwinism such as Lester Ward, objected to the supporters' justifications on the status quo issue and proposed another theory called Telesis, which means premeditated social evolution. Most social Darwinists focused their arguments on the role or function of competition in the social or natural world. Lester emphasized the importance of cooperation in the development of social order and brought forward historical evidence that helped him argue that progress in the human world was the result of intelligence and cooperative activities, not cruel competition. Lester used this breakdown to urge political and social leaders to implement measures intentionally aimed at human social betterment. Social Darwinism and eugenics are some of the major pseudoscientific movements that have helped shape immigration through the implementation of eugenic ideas. These ideas prevented immigration to certain ethnic groups considered biologically superior by eugenics. These movements greatly influenced immigration to the United States, where reformers, politicians, and local leaders full of Americanism willingly passed laws restricting immigration to the United States because they believed them to be superior and desirable. In a society filled with struggling immigrants, the eugenics and social Darwinism movements were intended to solidify the fact that America's future would be inherited only by “native” Americans. These movements were forms of social selection based on Darwin's theory of natural selection. Immigration policies implemented aimed to ensure that only people considered “superior” could move freely as they had the greatest chance of furthering America's development and success. This can be considered a form of selective breeding as postulated in Darwin's theory, hence the phrase social Darwinism. The people called "social Darwinists" did not describe themselves as such. It was their opponents who criticized their economic and social policies who invented the term as a derogatory term to describe their position as wrong. Modern historians have tried to emphasize the social effect of Darwin's theories. For example, nineteenth-century British rule tended to emphasize the aspect of competition while neglecting altruism and cooperation in the natural world of business. Regarding migrant workers in the United States, the effects of social Darwinism show that there was a.