通过《海狼》和《马丁•伊登》解读杰克•伦敦的达尔文主义(3)
Critic Shengji Xu and Shubiao Sun both completed “Rethink about Jack London’s philosophy in The Sea-Wolf,” which focused on the personal life of London. T hey made a comparison between the story details and the key issues happened in London’s life so that the audience could understand London’s critique on superman theory and finally accept Huxley’s ethical society system (XU, Shengji and Shubiao Sun, 2013).
Social Darwinism was a theory first raised by critic Spencer. Borrowed from Darwin’s biological evolutionism, Spencer thought that the theory was also adaptable to a society. He believed that poor people were not suitable to live in society. That was to say, public resources should not be wasted on these people. For a long time, many racists and inpidualists fought against those who they thought were inferior to them based on Spencer’s theory. However, many other critics began to find the loopholes of Spencer’s ideology. Huxley was one of the numbers in this moral group. So, when people talk about social Darwinism, they actually talk about social evolutionism.
Since foreigner critics have started analyzing Jack London’s evolutionism for a long time. Based on their works, this analysis is trying to inform the audience how Jack London’s evolutionism works and explore it. Meanwhile, this analysis also focuses on works created by Chinese critics. Having considered all these brilliant thoughts, the audience can have a deep understanding of Jack London’s evolutionism.
Social Darwinism was also called social evolutionism. The core idea of Darwin’s evolutionism is “the survival of the fittest.” However, the meaning of this theory is changing along with the times. Spencer and Huxley are two important scholars, who give opposite interpretations on social Darwinism. Following Nietzsche’s superman theory, Spencer’s Social Darwinism is to create a superman inpidualism society. On the other hand, Huxley raises the opposing argument, pointing out that a perfect society should be based on morality where ethical human beings live in harmony and survive together. Affected by Nietzsche’s superman theory as well as considering his own experience, London combines the ideas of Spencer and Huxley and gives his own opinion on evolutionism. In his socialist ideology, a perfect society should be composed of human beings who are both physically strong and morally noble. Through writing The Sea-Wolf, London fully explains the process of evolution, criticizes Nietzsche’s superman theory, and lets the audience know that Spencer’s superman inpidualism society is only an illusion, instead, an ethic society is the ultimate goal that human beings should seek for to survive a modern life.