Darwin’s stress on congenital differences refutes the tabula-rasa equality doctrine

Evidence

The doctrine that all men are born equal, and that the differences between adults are due wholly to education, was incompatible with his emphasis on congenital differences between members of the same species. — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 2642

Categorization

• XREF: Directly engages Helvetius and the Enlightenment doctrine of education forming character, and the Lamarckian counter-thread in early evolutionism. — connects to: Genetic causation of a trait does not imply the trait is unchangeable — Harriet A. Washington, A Terrible Thing to Waste, 157; Individual uniqueness as a value denies equality rather than grounds it — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 690; The eighteenth century equated individuality with freedom and assumed natural human equality — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 650 (+1 more)
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 2642

Broader Connections

• True equality among people is impossible due to inescapable uniqueness #corroborates (0.90) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 187
• Individual uniqueness as a value denies equality rather than grounds it #corroborates (0.85) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 690
• The eighteenth century equated individuality with freedom and assumed natural human equality #contradicts (0.80) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 650
• Genetic causation of a trait does not imply the trait is unchangeable #qualifies (0.75) — Harriet A. Washington, A Terrible Thing to Waste, 157