W5. Sociocultural evolution(1)/ Kim Seonghui

1. Summary
Sociocultural evolution is a theory that explains how culture and society change. Evolutionary theories in the 19th century argued that society was gradually becoming civilized because they saw the culture and technology of Western civilization as the same. Stadial theorists began to find out what set the direction of human history. With the emergence of colonialism, industrial revolution and capitalism, the theory of social and historical change, the theory of social and cultural evolution, the theory of social circulation and Marxist theory of historical materialism, emerges in the 19th century. These theories have something in common that we think that human history is pursuing social progress. Sociocultural evolution has been further influenced by the biological theory of evolution. So theorists tried to formulate social thinking in a scientific way. Spencer and Conte see society as an organism. So they think growth is social progress, and an evolved society is better. Thus, liberalism has become one of the foundations of sociocultural evolution. In addition to Spencer and Comte, Ward and Durkheim wanted to define social evolution. Meanwhile, theories about the stage of evolution have been criticized as a kind of illusion. Several cultural anthropologists have rejected the distinction between primitive and civilized societies, saying that attempts to reconstruct history using this theory are unscientific. Critical theorists also argue that social evolution is in fact only justification for power by equality in society. Some early theories are criticized for being used to justify eugenics, colonialism, etc.
 
2. New/Interesting
I was surprised that there were many scholars who argued for sociocultural evolution. And I was surprised that the scholars were mostly names we had heard a lot from. It was very shocking that the theory of social and cultural evolution was applied as a means to justify eugenics and colonialism. Meanwhile, many of Spencer's theories about social development have been denied by a scholar named Lester Frank Ward. Ward regards competition as a destructive force, and Spencer thought competition and survival of the fittest helped the evolution of human society, but it was impressive that they were still theorists of sociocultural evolution.
 
3. Discussion
What do you think of the opinion that society's growth is made in the direction of development? Do you agree or disagree?

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