ABSTRACT
Once Charles Darwin had struck upon the idea of natural selection, he was determined to place his theory on a sound footing. Clearly, societies compete. Sometimes their rivalry is obvious and conscious; at other times it goes unrecognized. The American hegemony followed in the wake of multiple competitions between politicians, entrepreneurs, and ordinary workers. Feminists, for instance, have ceaselessly advocated gender equality. Aristotle thought we humans are rational animals; nevertheless it is remarkable how frequently we use other methods to arrive at important decisions. Functionalism, in this sense, is often in the eye of the beholder. One of our most important semi-rational selection mechanisms is interpersonal power. Hierarchies are a regular feature of human communities. Property, which cannot be protected, eventually is no longer one's property. Vital in maintaining political power, but equally important in making choices between alternatives, are moral and ideological commitments.
