Re: Darwin's influence on Stalin

The only bio of Stalin that I have at hand is that of Dmitri Volkogonov,
labelled "The First Glasnost Biography." Unfortunately it gives little
attention to his early years so doesn't help in answering the question.
It's certainly possible that Darwin had some influence on the development of
Stalin's thought, though I'd like to see Pearcey's source for this. One
wonders, e.g., about the availability of "the works of Darwin" at an
Orthodox seminary in Czarist Georgia.

Whether Pearcey's claim is true or not, it also should be noted that the
type of evolution favored by Soviet ideology was not Darwinian but
Lamarckian. That is shown most clearly, of course, in the whole Lysenko
affair, but was more widespread than that. While Nazi ideology was
biological, Soviet ideology was primarily cultural, & the distinctive
aspects of cultural evolution (to the extent we can speak of that) are
Lamarckian.

That all being said, I agree with Bob S. that this sort of argument - "X
read Darwin and was a bad person so Darwinism is bad" - is pretty dubious.

Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/

----- Original Message -----
From: "James Mahaffy" <mahaffy@mtcnet.net>
To: <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2005 7:35 PM
Subject: Darwin's influence on Stalin

Folks,

Can a historian that knows help me with this one. Was it the reading of
Darwin that moved Darwin to atheism. Nancy Pearcy in her new book
suggests that and Answers in Genesis below also suggests it.

However sometimes simple stories are more complicated. Just wondered if
these writers are right.

"But early in his life Stalin experienced a dramatic change of career.
While studying at the Tiflis Theological Seminary, he began to read the
works of Charles Darwin. He developed a critical mind and revolutionary
bent. One of his friends later said in a book-which was published in
Moscow while Stalin was still in power-that when Stalin began to read
Darwin he became an atheist."

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