SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST IN 2026
Myth vs. Reality From Spencer’s Philosophy to Modern Differential Reproductive Success ORIGINAL TERM Natural Selection (Charles Darwin, 1859) COINED PHRASE Survival of the Fittest (Herbert Spencer, 1864) MODERN TERM Differential Reproductive Success LITERATURE TYPE Scientific Treatise / Evolutionary Biology 1. The Coining of "Survival of the Fittest" In 1864, British philosopher Herbert Spencer coined the term "survival of the fittest" in his book Principles of Biology after reading Darwin’s work. Spencer applied these ideas to human society—a concept known as Social Darwinism —where "fitness" was often equated with wealth, power, or social standing. 2. Darwin’s Adoption Darwin originally preferred "Natural Selection." However, pressured by colleagues like Alfred Russel Wallace—who felt "selection" implied a conscious choice by Nature—Darwin adopted Spencer's phrase in the 5th edition of Origin of Species (1869). Crucially, Darwin...