Which was the relation between the Nazi idea of a super race and Darwinism?

Answer 1

The idea of the superior human being came through the philosophy of Nietzche who talked of the 'ubermensch' , a superman who would be a superior being, although some believe the Nazi party mis-used his philosophy. Darwinism was another philosophy with which Hitler sought to conform and improve the so-called 'aryan race' who were in their eyes superior to say, the black or Jewish races. This was through the theory of Eugenics, (also accepted in the US and other places at this time), the Nazis sought to improve the genetic stock of their nation which is one reason they sought to get rid of all, not just Jews, who they deemed inferior.

They saw themselves specifically as the agents of evolution and so pursued this policy both negatively in the Holocaust and positively (in their eyes) through human breeding programs, for which they established special centers.

Although some would argue that Darwinism itself does not require this to occur, it certainly was seen by the Nazi party as one role they had for the good of the nation and in the longer term, for the world. Thus even though such an outcome could not have been forseen by Darwin himself, who may well have been horrified, it is certainly one possible outcome of 'survival of the fittest' and 'nature red in tooth and claw.' Coupled with the diminution of any idea that this could be morally wrong, due to the explicit rejection of the high moral standards of The Bible, and the scene was ripe for this to occur. Those true Christians who opposed the Nazis were persecuted and imprisoned and many were executed, as feelings of compassion inherent in Christianity were seen as being weak, and therefore bad for the nation - not to mention the fact that there was a slight tendency for a lack of tolerance of dissent.

= Hitler believed in Arthur de Gobineau's ideas of struggle for survival between the different races, among which the "Aryan race" guided by "Providence" - was supposed to be the torchbearers of civilization. In Hitler's conception Jews were enemies of all civilization.

Answer 2

The only relation is that Hitler was a believer in Social Darwinism which influenced his belief that Jews were an inferior race to Germans, who were the superior race.