Survival of the Fittest

Survival of the Fittest is a phrase that originated from Darwinian evolutionary theory as a way of describing the mechanism of natural selection. The biological concept of fitness is defined as reproductive success.

Pronunciation

/səˈvʌɪvəl ɒv ðə ˈfɪtɪst/

Etymology

The phrase was first used by Herbert Spencer in "Principles of Biology" (1864) after reading Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species". This phrase is often used in popular literature as a catchphrase for any topic related or analogous to evolution and natural selection. It has thus been applied to principles of competition and survival in economics, society, and politics.

Related Terms

• Natural Selection
• Evolution
• Fitness (biology)
• Herbert Spencer
• Charles Darwin

See Also

• Darwinian evolutionary theory
• Principles of Biology

References

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