The Darwin-Hitler connection debunked

The anti-science creationists (and there really is no other kind) often try to discredit evolutionary theory by claiming that Nazi philosophy was inspired in part by Darwin’s writings. The ever-ignorant lizard bitch Cao has supplied an excellent example of this sort of fallacious thinking. Over at Pharyngula, PZ Myers highlights the work of a commenter at his site who puts this myth to bed permanently:

First of all, as has already been established courtesy of searching through Mein Kampf in detail, Hitler’s assorted eructations on nature reproduce well-known creationist canards, including the static species fallacy, and Hitler also asserted that fertile, viable hybrids were impossible…

Additionally, the Nazis placed textbooks on evolutionary biology on their list of seditious books to be burned, as illustrated nicely here, where we learn that in 1935, Nazi guidelines with respect to seditious books included:

6. Schriften weltanschaulichen und lebenskundlichen Charakters, deren Inhalt die falsche naturwissenschaftliche Aufklärung eines primitiven Darwinismus und Monismus ist (Häckel).

Translated into English, this reads:

Writings of a philosophical and social nature whose content deals with the false scientific enlightenment of primitive Darwinism and Monism (Häckel)

The evidence is therefore conclusive. Nazism was not inspired by evolution, and indeed, much of Hitler’s own writings are creationist in tone. The Nazis destroyed evolutionary textbooks as seditious (much as modern day creationists would love to)…

So much for that fantasy. I’m sure that the facts won’t deter Cao and others of its kind from continuing to make this ridiculous claim, of course.