George Chatterton-Hill

Who was George Chatterton-Hill?

George Chatterton-Hill was the Irish writer of several books on evolution and sociology. He wrote at the start of the 20th century, when the rediscovery of Gregor Mendel's work, had created turmoil over Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. He was also very influenced by the writings of Herbert Spencer regarding evolution and society, and of Benjamin Kidd regarding society and religion.

He emphasises the impossibility of liberalism, which recommends individual freedom insofar as it does not restrict the individual freedom of others. The objection, he says, is that it is inconsistent with competition. Liberalism, he says, is not possible in the context of evolutionary theory, given man's ceaseless urge for expansion which conflicts with the idea of equality for all. In reality, he claims, the superior group or class always oppresses the inferior masses, who eventually revolt. All revolutions result simply in the replacement of the ruling class by a new ruling class. He refers to the German concept of Rechtsstaat, and his ideas reflect the prominence of social Darwinism of the time.