Research Essay Outline

Intro-
Context
Talk about what social darwinism is
Define evolution
"Darwin's and Wallace's theory of
evolution maintains that new species are descended from earlier
ones. This long-term process happens because all organisms vary.
The tiny variations are naturally "selected" by virtue of whether or
not they help an organism to survive the brutal struggle for
existence in nature. Many are born, but few survive; fortuitous
variations are preferentially passed on. This process of endless
filtering works to adapt organisms to their environment (Wyhe)."
talk about what Modernism is
"In cultural history, however, the term modernism
refers to the period generally dating from around the 1860s to the 1970s.
This era is defined by an aesthetic, a style, and a political and cultural
ideology. It is this more specific use of the concept of modernism that
generally applies to discussions of art, literature, and the philosophy that
framed these developments. Emerging in part from the Enlightenment
ideals of progress, freedom, equality, and the pursuit of reason and truth,
modernism influenced nearly all aspects of Western culture well into the
twentieth century (Mercadal)."
Thesis: Through its influence on religion, traditional ideas about morality, and
developing ideas of human supremacy, Darwinism shaped the Modernist literary
movement
Body Paragraph 1- Decline of religion
Topic Sentence: Modernism was affected by Social Darwinism in that Darwinism
created feelings of resentment toward religion.
On the Origin of Species
Social Darwinism promoted a scientific approach to life
Theory of evolution caused people to look more into biology and
less into the bible
"The work of Charles Darwin has implications far
beyond science. His revolutionary insights have changed the way we think
about society, ethics, and religion (Stevens)."
Americans started disregarding the bible, which had been central in
American life up to this point
Write about Puritans, romanticism, First / Second
Great Awakening
How culture changed when these ideals were
changed
Darwinists believe that humanity was basically an accident of nature
The decline of religion affected the modernist literary movement because authors
believed that the decline of religion created the downfall of the American dream
 Theme in Great Gatsby

Body Paragraph 2- Descent of Morality

Topic Sentence: Modernism was affected by Social Darwinism in the way
Darwinism instituted a descent in morality, which directly affected characters in the
Modernist movement.
Descent of Man
Belief that one group of people are superior to another
Theory of evolution
"Darwin argued that because all species produce
more offspring than can possibly survive, and because species populations
remain relatively constant, there must be some mechanism working in
nature to eliminate the unfit. Variations are randomly introduced in nature,
some of which will permit a species to adapt better to its environment.
These advantageous adaptations are passed on to the offspring, giving
them an advantage for survival (Angyal)."
Thought natural selection had chosen them
Great Gatsby: characters believed
they had become wealth because nature had willed it
With no religion to follow, there was no moral guide
Do whatever it takes to get to the top
The descent of morality affected the Modernist literary movement because
authors often created characters who were more out for money and self-gain than for
America or their communities
Different from previous movement romanticism

Body Paragraph 3- Beliefs about Human Supremacy

Topic Sentence: Modernism was affected by Social Darwinism in that Darwinism
promoted human supremacy.
In this time period, Darwinism was used to promote and justify racism
Known as scientific racism
"Since the ideology of racism evolved before the
development of the modern science of genetics (and biology), most of its
core beliefs are pre- or pseudo-scientific (Gould 1981, 1994; Jordan 1968).
Consequently, the contention that there are or can be genetic differences in
IQ between racial groups rests on several faulty assumptions regarding
both race and human genetics (Hudson).
Nazis used Charles Darwins studies to justify the Holocaust
In the 1920s, many white people across America used Darwinism to justify their
means of getting to the top of the economic ladder
Modernist literature like The Great Gatsby portrays people who are
on top of the social hierarchy
Often uses beliefs about supremacy to justify means
of getting to the top
Human supremacy affected modernist literary movement in that it caused many
characters to embrace a sense of necessity to stay on the top of the food chain, as
 portrayed by Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby.

Conclusion-
Restated Thesis: Darwinism affected the Modernist movement in that it promoted
a lack of religion, generated an immoral lifestyle, and fueled ideals of human superiority.
 Works Cited

Angyal, Andrew J. "Charles Darwin." Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, 2013. EBSCO,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=88806936&site=eds-live. Accessed

9 May 2017. This is an article about the life of Charles Darwin. It gives valuable information

about his early life, his work, and his significance. Darwin's life work includes the writing of the

book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection and The Descent of Man. The

article also gives important insight about the responses to Darwin's work, and shows that many

people did not support his findings. This lack of support was often among religious people,

which will be helpful in supporting my argument about the effects of Darwinism on religion.

Hudson, J. Blaine. "Scientific Racism : the Politics of Tests, Race and Genetics." Black Scholar,

vol. 25, no. 1, 1995. Professional Development Collection, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=tfh&AN=9512190856&site=ehost-live. Accessed 9 May 2017. The beginning of

this source is not useful for my research paper. However, the article begins to shape itself into a

source that provides direct insight into information about scientific racism that will be integral to

certain parts of my research essay outline. The article addresses and contradicts arguments about

inferiority or superiority, which is extremely helpful for finding information about the beliefs of

those in support of scientific racism and those who oppose it.

Mercadal, Trudy. "Modernism (Philosophical Movement)." Salem Press Encyclopedia, Jan.

2017. EBSCO Host, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=ers&AN=87323262&site=eds-live. Accessed 9 May 2017. This is a source that

gives a background and overview on Modernism. The article offers a brief definition of what

modernism really is, and then follows with an explanation of the origins of Modernism. Finally,

and most importantly, the article gives a detailed overview on the movement, as well as its
relevance in a historical and artistic context. This article will be helpful for my research paper

because it will help further my understanding of Modernism, so I will be able to apply what

IwhatI know about Darwinism to what I know about Modernism.

Stevens, Timothy S. "Darwin and Religious Thought." OneBook of Northwestern, Northwestern

University, 2017, www.northwestern.edu/onebook/the-reluctant-mr-darwin/essays/darwin-

religion.html. Accessed 9 May 2017. The author of this document analyses the effect of

Darwinian concepts on religious institutions across America. The author talks about how various

different religious communities and scientific communities accepted or rejected implications of

social darwinism. He describes how they used Darwin's studies to further prove their religious

beliefs. This article will be useful for my research because it provides insight as to the effect of

Darwinian thought on religion. This is important for me because this concept is the basis for part

of my larger argument.

Wyhe, John Van. "The Evolution Revolution." New Scientist. MasterFILE Premier,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=116821334&site=ehost-live.

Accessed 9 May 2017. Originally published in New Scientist, vol. 231, no. 3082, 16 July 2016.

This article is about the founding of Darwinism and beliefs about evolution. Although not all of

this article is useful for my research, it does provide some necessary information about the

founding and acceptance of the theory of evolution. Understanding people's responses to

Darwinian concepts is important because my essay is about how people reacted to these concepts

and how it changed/affected their core beliefs.