Cultural darwinism

With culture Darwinism the transfer or restriction of is Sozialdarwinismus on cultural designated areas.

In an intercultural context, cultural Darwinism is used by critics as a term for the justification of colonialist efforts as a "natural struggle for survival" of different cultures (see also racism and racial theories ). Today's discussion of the "Clash of Culture" is, at least partially, in this tradition (See also The Clash of Civilizations (clash of civilizations) by Samuel P. Huntington ).

In an intra-cultural context, the term is used in connection with a competitive situation between cultural institutions imposed by external funding cuts.

An example: "It is a fatal, but perhaps deliberate, cultural-political signal when the State Opera is played off against the Berlin Contemporary Opera in this way. This type of cultural Darwinism means a devastating brutalisation of the intellectual climate in this city." (From an open letter from Andreas Rochholl, Artistic Director of the Zeitgenössische Oper Berlin, to the Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit, 2002)