In the first half of the twentieth century this principle was at the heart of the wave of Social Darwinism that spawned eugenics programmes on both sides of the Atlantic. And the danger is with us still. Postmodern relativism has made deep inroads into many people’s minds, resulting in an erosion of the concepts of truth, morality, and the value of human life. Put that together with the cult of the self, and you are well on the way to engineering an egocentric society, where truth and morality can be defined in such a way as to make sure it is “I” who survive.
