Christopher Douglass's Impact On Society

The actual term ‘Eugenics’ was developed by Darwin’s cousin, Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911) and who is credited with coining the term ‘nurture vs. nature’ - the heart of what later came to be known as ‘scientific racism’ (Bradshaw). This was perhaps unsurprisingly a direct outworking of the ‘new’ Darwinian evolutionary philosophy prevalent at the time, and now widely held in society and academia.

So, it would seem somewhat churlish to single out Douglas in this especially as it should have been antithetical to his Christian values, for if in the Darwinian world-view science was now freed from having to conform to ‘outdated’ Biblical ideas, eugenics could be seen as a natural outworking of the Darwinian view of his day. While not the topic

While Tommy Douglas has been labelled by many as a Socialist, in reality he was more of a progressive socialist (or Progressivist) as he did not seek to undermine the capitalism underpinning Canadian society but more so control it for the greater good of the population. In fact Heather Robertson claims that Douglas thought of himself in terms of ‘managed capitalism’, quoting an old CCF party member saying ‘Douglas never was a socialist, there wasn’t a socialist in the cabinet.’ (Robertson)

A classic Socialist wants ‘to abolish capitalism because they believe that it exploits the working class’ whereas ‘Progressives, on the other hand, believe that capitalism is the most expeditious way to grow the wealth of society under a regulated business environment.’ (Difference Between) While it may seem contradictory, in view of his own comments about being a ‘managed capitalist’, he could also possibly be considered a ‘Social Liberal’ - as defined in the class notes for this subject: ‘“Social liberals” … therefore support government intervention in the state and economy in order to alleviate human suffering, ignorance, and poverty, and to make the economy function in the interests of all.’ (POLI 307

Enduring withering criticism for being a closet communist, he set about enacting legislation and putting in place programs consistent with his socially progressive views in order to level the playing field for the Province, and later when he took over as head of the NDP, similarly influencing things at a national level. Although interestingly, while most Canadians would regard Douglas as the ‘Father of Medicare’ and the CBC designated ‘Greatest Canadian’, it was actually ‘his forgotten successor’ who legislated it’.