From Darwin to Hitler is controversial because its author is associated with the Discovery Institute, an organization that advocates intelligent design and criticizes naturalistic evolution. From this it has been argued that the book is merely a hit piece on Darwin that argues two things: 1) the Holocaust was the inevitable result of embracing Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, and 2) Hitler's worldview and his Nazi agendas were solely derived from evolutionary biology.

After reading the book I am honestly at a loss at how such distorted criticisms could have materialized. Perhaps it is because Weikart appears to believe this in the eyes of his critics because he is part of the Discovery Institute and was featured in Ben Stein's movie Expelled, which was rather reckless in its guilt by association tactics. Whatever the reason, the critics have it wrong as Weikart diligently and professionally handles a careful argument that merely suggests that Darwinism was a necessary, though not sufficient, condition for Hitler's ethic. The book's unfortunate title perhaps reduces things a bit too much, but the subtitle evokes a more judicious curiousity, "Evolutionary ethics, eugenics, and racism in Germany." These, no doubt, are the plot twists in a very grim view of humanity.

Ironically enough, Weikart doesn't spend a lot of time on Darwin and focuses more attention on Ernst Haeckel , Bartholomäus von Carneri, Christian von Ehrenfels, August Forel, Eugen Fischer, Theodor Fritsch, Friedrich Jodl, Friedrich Hellwald, Fritz Lenz, Alfred Ploetz, Wilhelm Schallmayer, and Helene Stöcker. One could go on and on furnishing quote after quote from the German intelligentsia showing that they believed it was a scientific fact that humans were no more than animals in competition with one another, and that the humanitarian ethics of Christian morality which compels society to care for the sick and weak ought to be thrown off. In their view, there was no such thing as a human soul or human nature. There is no free will since everything is biologically determined. Humanity does not share a common ancestor as evidenced by the vast differences between racial categories. The the distance between the "higher" and "lower" human races is greater than the distance between apes and the "lower" races (!) making the belief that all persons are created equal a liberal fable. The superior are given the right to dominate, if not eliminate, the inferior from within their ranks. The mentally handicapped and the disabled are not only "worthless" to society but actually count as "negative worth" because they sap the strength of the "strong." It therefore, is a moral duty to the community to segregate the population and sift out the bad elements from the good.

After one reads through the litany of German scientists, eugenicists, ethicists, and political reformers one cannot help but see how morality was turned on its head. The strongest part of Weikart's book is that he provides an explanation for how German legal theorists, physicians, and scientists could have supported and carried out Hitler's policies. The mantle of evolutionary progress was so powerfully motivating that it captured the hearts and minds of Germany's intelligentsia long before Hitler arrived on the scene. In the wake of World War I the fear of biological degeneration (the "best" of German men dead on the battlefield, and the "worst" at home) and the economic oppression Germany experienced made Hitler's heinous vision one that was morally necessary.

To be sure, Darwinism was not the cause of Hitler's Germany, but it played no small part in re-imagining the human race in the German mind. Without a doubt, it helped prepare the way for some of the most inhumane treatment of humanity in history.

This is a great book on post enlightenment Germany and the impact of enlightenment thinking on the German people. It explains the true causes of WWI and WWII the German belief in racial superiority. It shows how science becoming the new religion was able to be infused with politics. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys WWII especially Hitler and the Nazi Party.

I have just finished reading this brilliant book and was given a first rate educational experience by Dr. Weikart. From Darwin to Hitler is amazingly will researched and documented. The book clearly demonstrates the influence Darwinism had on German scholarship, education, and medicine in the days preceding Nazi Germany. I believe Dr. Weikart conclusively proves that Hitler could not have escaped Darwin's influence. After reading it the only honest conclusion one can make is that Darwinism was profoundly influential, if not responsible, for the Holocaust. This book should be required reading in ever public school in America.

I have only started into reading this book and can't yet say anything about its ideas. Content-wise, I am expecting it will have a five-star rating. However, I feel compelled to issue a WARNING about the typeface, which is etoliated, fine, faint, dinky, small, light, dainty, skinny, and of insufficient contrast on the off-white pages. Why in the world would a publisher issue a book in such an off-putting format?

As an undergrad history major I stumbled upon this book preparing for a paper. I have to admit that I found this book to be uncommonly interesting. Richard Weikart is most definitely a prolific historian. There are few things that need to be stated in correction. Some of the reviewers of this book believe that Weikart is blaming the entire holocaust on Darwin alone. In fact, Weikart is not blaming everything on Darwin. He recognizes that Darwin would have been aghast at how far his theory was taken. He is merely showing how that evolution evolved paving the way for nazi ideology. Weikart is not merely blaming Hitler's Germany on one ideology. Every historian knows that there are always numerous factors involved with every world event. Weikart accepts nationalism, economics, militarism, conservatism, etc as other things contributing to the main event. Weikart is merely concentrating on the ideological aspect of Hitler's Germany.
He traces a number of developments starting shortly after Darwin's origin of species. He draws from the major scientists and philosophers that impacted German thinking before the outbreak of WWI. Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects is Carneri's diagram that shows the skull shapes of advanced men and those who are more primitive.
The connection to Hitler is elusive because Hitler would have never have openly allied himself with this thinking. For one he liked to mouth a lot of stuff much of which was a plain contradiction. However, it is apparent that Hitler's roots lie deep into German social Darwinism. A reading of Mein Kampf and the standard rhetoric of Hitler shows his thinking is deeply rooted in the ideals of Germany's philosophers.
I do not blame Darwin for the ills of the world and neither does Weikart. Weikart merely draws the lines and allows the readers to come to their own conclusion. It is impossible to imagine that the world would not have headed to disaster without Darwinism. It is also equally hard to imagine that this ideology had no effect or consequences. This is a great book for liberal open-minded people.