Introduction
It is impossible to overstate the impact that science and technology have had on our existence. Science and technological advancements have not only hastened the advancement of civilization but also aided humans in their interaction with environment. Through their research into the laws governing the world, their discovery of the mysteries of nature, and their practical application of their knowledge, scientists have made a positive impact on people's lives. If you quickly contrast modern human life with that of people in the Victorian gentleman's era, it becomes clear that life has changed drastically. Our forefathers hardly had the foggiest notion of the insignificant items produced by the advancement of science and technology; from radiotelephones, microwave ovens, computers, TV sets and so on would seem a miracle to them that our life is pleasant, comfortable, and easy way beyond theirs. A majority of great inventions of the 20th century such as jet engines, combustion, airplanes, and the radio have become usual things to the extent that we cannot imagine our life without them. These phenomena prove the power of science and technology progress in human life. These can be accredited to the influential support that the work of Charles Darwin had on the industrial error, which established the superiority levels on the social development, acting as a foundation for the science and technology progression. It is evident from the evolution theory and man the tool maker.
The Evolution Theory and the Industrial Revolution
The evolution theory seems to have brought out the understanding of the industrial revolution. Amongst the unresolved economic arguments that faced the conceptual age, one has led to the industrial revolution during the early 1800s in Europe, and the reasons behind not all countries evolving economically in the aftermath of the revolution as of today. The query is satisfactorily answered by Charles Darwin's theory of evolution since changes in the human populations could be the main reasoning behind the revolution. The connection of the industrial revolution and the theory of evolution lies with the work of Thomas Malthus which inspired the theory of natural selection. In other words, Darwin himself acknowledges that his insights of the theory of evolution came about after he read the 'principles of population' by Malthus in 1838 and found out that as long as the offspring's inherited something of their parent's characteristics, then in a Malthusian equilibrium as concerns a population, there would be a selection of particular traits over time (18). According to Thomas Mathis, the introduction of new technology would be followed by an increase in the overall population resulting in an offset of any technological development's benefits relegating humanity to a perpetual subsistence economy. It is obvious that men who tend to have a higher income have more surviving children when compared to those with lower incomes. Prior to the industrial revolution, the upper social class had begun out-populating the lower income population, and it is for the reasons that attributed to the observed decrease in violence and an upsurge in literacy. A combination of these changes together with the apparent willingness of this new population to work more in order to save more resulted in the industrial revolution given that the gains in the production efficiency outdid the population growth for the first time.
The Influence of Darwin's Theory on European Perception
In his piece of literal work, Adas describes an extended effect of Darwin's theory of evolution. According to Adas, the Europeans developed a perception of being superior due to their scientific and technological preeminence, and it has for decades shaped their interactions with people overseas (88). On the basis of the cultures of China, India, and sub-Saharan Africa, the Europeans have adopted a broad comparative perspective where they judge people in these regions to be a representative of the lower levels of social organization and material mastery (90). Limiting his focus to Africa, India, and China, Ada's work is an extensive research beginning from the late fifteenth century to the twentieth century. He splits his scope of research into three sections where he acknowledges what transpired before the industrial revolution, during the industrialization period and the twentieth century. From the time when the World War II ended, the author brings out the Western dominance ideology and how it has continued to shape the relations between the West and the non-western countries. The assumption of the non-western inferiority is purely based on the theory of evolution laid out by Charles Darwin. When the westerners traveled to Africa, they saw themselves as more evolved and could not help but note the wide difference such as the indigenous adherence to the heathen religions. They also noted that certain handicrafts were exceptional in terms of quality with the lamentations that followed describing them as primitive and limited in productive capacity from the perspective of the European (Adas 38). Other cultures encountered by the European such those in China and India were initially met with awe at their complexity, wealth, and size (Adas 38). A majority of the technological innovations in India such as the production of fine cotton textiles and China's shipbuilding could not be matched by any of the European states at the time (Adas 39). In these regions, inferiority took a different perspective such as religion and scientific learning but not on technology. The scientific thought concept of the Western that came out of these revolutions was precisely based on measurement and observation allowing the Europeans to practice the measurement of men (Adas 39).
The Atomic Age and Charles Darwin
Patrick Sharp in a similar trend links the atomic age to Charles Darwin and the America's frontier. The atomic age brought into reality the Bomb along with the spawned narrative of the apocalypse which acted as a reminder of the impending doom. However, according to Sharp (), these tales had their origin even afore Hiroshima way back to Darwin whereby he examines America, between the period of Cold War and early industrial age, as a culture underpinned by racism. Sharp in the article 'Savage Perils' digs into the effect of the literary modernism, frontier nostalgia, and Darwinism on the representations and history of nuclear-powered weaponry. Sharp took into consideration factors like the Asian immigration and anthropological race theory to chart the origin of a worldview which has continuously shaped the global politics and culture. He dissects the arguments of Charles Darwin concerning the struggle amid the theories of savagery and civilization which powered the future-war tales that ended in Britain's Anglo dominance besides influencing the frontier's Turnerian visions in America. Sharp (), give examples of George's Bush's Axis of Evil to put his point through that most of the Americans hold dear the belief in the racially charged opposition between savagery and civilization (). In other words, they consider any chance of the non-whites or rather savages acquiring technological control as the biggest war on terror’s threat. In summary, the scientific/popular narratives and the Darwinian evolution mainstreamed the United States into American culture. The Darwin’s evolutionary narrative pits savagery against civilization justified the global racism which placed the whites at war with every other race. It is unfortunate that the American civil defense has over the decades taken a racial dimension.
Frankenstein and the Hunger for Advancement
Frankenstein by Whale is a good show of how humankind will at all the time strive to push boundaries and limits particularly when science is involved. As a race, the humankind continuously demands progression and answers illustrating how hungry they are for advancement and knowledge. Frankenstein demonstrates how human beings are fascinated with death and mortal coil with ideas of immortality relentlessly plaguing the fictional works. The urge is unstoppable as we see that the human settles for nothing less other than being able to mold and come up with life. Whereas Frankenstein comes out as a wicked scientist who wanted to play God, the artistic work brings a lot to the table about Darwin’s theory of evolution. It showcases that human beings evolve gradually to become more superior with changes in time and environment, and the process cannot be halted. Frankenstein, the whole principle likens to the evolution of men to the extent that it sounds bizarre how there is basically no punishment when one defiles the natural order.
The Frontier in American History and Darwin's Ideologies
Darwin’s theory of evolution and man the tool maker was also seemingly upheld by Turner while spearheading his thesis of The Frontier in American History. Turner traced the social evolution of the said frontier life as it progressively developed across the continent to the complexity of the factory and city from the primitive conditions experienced by the trader, the trapper, and the explorer through the maturing stages of agriculture. In his perception, Turner insisted that the frontier's conditions assertively shaped the American character, particularly the large quantity of free land, a settling that engendered traits such as optimism, materialism, mobility, restless energy, inventiveness, individualism, and self-reliance. Turner reasoned that the end of the continental expansion’s frontier era had thrown the nation 'back upon itself. He recommended the 'imperious will and force' ought to be, at that time, replaced by the social reorganization by embracing an expanded educational opportunity’s system which would be able to supplant the frontier’s geographical mobility. It was a pure demonstration of a continuous evolution of humankind falling in line with Darwin’s ideologies. He advocated for the American universities to maintain the pioneer ideals through training new leaders whose role would be to reconcile culture and the popular government with the huge industrial society of the modern world. Turner described these as the new frontiers of the unknown fields of science as a replacement of the old frontiers of wilderness marred with ax and rifle. Turner demonstrated that most of the conflicts between the western and the eastern ideals were always won by the west for the reasons that it was the frontier that was at all the time creating the new American race. Turner contended that the West created the American race which according to him was the type of the many unlike the transatlantic European, something he claims was entirely different from all the other races.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the influential support that Charles Darwin had on the industrial error established superiority levels on the social development, and it acted as the foundation of science and technology progression. The evolution theory and man the tool maker particularly plays a significant role as evidence in the supposition. First of all, the evolution theory and man the tool maker brought out the understanding of the industrial revolution. A similar phenomenon is observed by Adas where he noted that the Europeans had over the centuries developed the perception of superiority due to their scientific and technological prowess, something that was described as the measurement of men. It shaped their interactions with other races overseas. Thirdly, we find out that Patrick Sharp attributes the Atomic age to the America's frontier and Charles Darwin. According to sharp, Darwin is associated with the atomic age which was epitomized by the Hiroshima bombing to the racism of superiority that underpinned the American culture for the period between the industrial revolution and cold war. The aggressiveness of human being to evolve into more superior being is largely demonstrated in Whale's literal work Frankenstein. Lastly, Turner seemingly upheld Darwin's ideology of the theory of evolution and man the tool maker to spearhead his reasoning of The Frontier in American History.
Works Cited
Adas, Michael. Machines as the Measure of Men: Science, Technology, and Ideologies of Western Dominance. Cornell University Press, 1990.
Darwin, Charles. The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. Anboco, 1896.
Sharp, Patrick B. Savage Perils: Racial Frontiers and Nuclear Apocalypse in American Culture. University of Oklahoma Press, 2007.
Turner, Frederick J. The Frontier in American History. Scholar Select, 1893.
Whale, James, Frankenstein. Universal, 1931.
