… and one that came up was What Hath Darwin Wrought?:
“The standard refrain today is that social Darwinism had nothing to do with either Charles Darwin or his biological theory,” says Dr. John West, whose work is highlighted in the documentary. “But ideas have consequences, and it’s clear that Darwin himself understood that fact. I think many viewers will be surprised when they learn just how closely Darwin’s own views are connected to the rise of social Darwinism—and just how much of a continuing impact social Darwinism has on Darwin’s followers today.”
Trailer:
As a rule, Darwin is never responsible for what he believed. Quite the opposite, a move is made every year, it seems, in the United States, to link his name with the liberator, Lincoln.
The intriguing thing is that the racism part remains undiscussable.
See, for example,
Once again another push for a national Darwin Day in the United States
and
Did Lincoln read Origin of Species in New York? (Not the real Lincoln, but the Darwinized Lincoln of course did.)
The people involved would all say they’re anti-racist, but then their Darwin isn’t the actual one, rather a cultural product. The actual one is not discussable.