From Darwin to Death Camps? : Evolution, Eugenics and the Holocaust

How do we explain the Holocaust? Here, David Stack untangles this important yet knotty question by shining fresh light on ideas of evolution, eugenics and genocide. In so doing Stack guides readers through the tumultuous relationship between science and society from the 19th century onwards and offers a critical reappraisal of the assumed link between Darwin, Hitler and the Holocaust.

Rooted in transnational and intellectual history, this book begins with an exploration of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, then traces its connections to modern eugenic ideas and culminates in a consideration of the contemporary impact of framing the Holocaust in such a way. In the process, Stack provides a sophisticated reassessment of key individuals such as Charles Darwin and Francis Galton, and key concepts like 'social Darwinism' and 'modern synthesis'. Throughout Stack evaluates the popular historical narrative which seeks to blame Darwin for the Holocaust: and ultimately, Stack reasons, this approach proves both factually flawed and methodologically mistaken.

Innovative in its approach and nuanced in its argument, From Darwin to Death Camps? will be an invaluable resource for scholars of both the Holocaust and the history of science.