Social Darwinism in modern China

After evolutionary theory was introduced in China, Herbert Spencer's interpretation of it in the form of social Darwinism persuaded the Chinese that if they wanted to strengthen their nation, they would have to accept the brutal truth of natural selection, in which the principle of survival of the fittest rules. This version of evolutionary theory, when combined with the pragmatic thrust of Confucianism and the realpolitik of legalism from China's indigenous tradition, started a storm of materialism and utilitarianism in modern China. In the process, the traditional social order based on the rule of propriety (li) was completely subverted and replaced by a new order predicated on the rule of competition and power. This development produced a new mental outlook that privileged power over everything else, seriously undermined the rules of ethics and caused serious political consequences in the late Qing and early Republican period. This intellectual development may have contributed to ending the dynastic rule in China, but it was also responsible for ruining the newborn Republican China. The Chinese intellectuals of the May Fourth era critically reflected on this problematic legacy. While still believing in the notion of progress, they abandoned social Darwinism and embraced the idea of evolution through mutual assistance. Thus began a historical shift in modern China from focusing on wealth and power to focusing on civilization as China's salvation.