A Darwinian Perspective on Xenophobia and Antisemitism

The National Socialists employed pseudo-scientific arguments to justify their racial theories. They linked their ideology to the Darwinian concept of “survival of the fittest” to legitimize the oppression, exploitation, and extermination of undesirable human groups, particularly Jews. This instrumentalization discredited Darwinism and evolutionary biology. However, an ideology-free, scientific analysis of the origins of xenophobia can provide valuable explanations without justifying the phenomenon. The aim of this text is to outline an evolutionary biological explanatory approach to xenophobia and antisemitism.

Evolutionary Foundations of Competition and Group Formation

In biology, the “struggle for existence” does not refer to conflicts between different species but rather to competition within a species for limited resources. Access to food, territory, or other vital factors determine the reproductive success of individuals and groups. Naturally, living beings prioritize their own offspring, close relatives, and members of their social group. This hierarchy extends from the individual to the family, to tribes, nations, or ideological and religious communities.

Even in highly social organisms, total altruism exists according to which non-reproductive individuals sacrifice themselves for the survival of the group. A typical example of this can be found in highly organized insect societies or naked mole-rats. Ultimately, it is genes that successfully replicate—not out of conscious will but due to biological mechanisms and the laws of thermodynamics and evolution. Through selection, structures emerge that favor survival and reproduction. This principle also influences human societies and explains fundamental mechanisms of group dynamics and exclusion. The drive for reproduction does not have to be consciously perceived; however, it influences individual behavior, which can extend beyond the individual to affect entire groups.

Resource Competition as the Root of Xenophobia

Xenophobia can be understood as an evolutionarily ingrained response to competition for scarce resources. The irrational rejection or even hatred of certain groups often has economic roots: minorities are perceived as parasites or exploiters who limit access to wealth or influence.

This pattern is particularly evident in antisemitism. The stereotype of the “Jewish capitalist” or “plutocrat” has been propagated by left-wing movements, while right-wing ideologies have portrayed Jews as harmful elements. The National Socialists radicalized this notion, comparing Jews to parasites or cancerous tumors that needed to be eradicated—a rhetoric that persists in antisemitic propaganda today, particularly in Islamist circles. They all perceive the recovery of their own national body from the malaise represented by Jews as a necessity for an imagined healing—one that, in its most radical form, can only be achieved through radical elimination. This is the road to genocide as it was practiced during the Holocaust.

Endogamy as an Amplifying Factor

Another aspect is endogamy in the targeted group. This is the preference for marriage within one’s own society. When a minority strives to preserve its identity and does not mix with the majority society, this mechanism reinforces the perception of exclusion. The diverse Jewish dietary laws and behavioral rules explicitly serve to reduce or eliminate the likelihood of romantic interactions with the majority society. From the perspective of individuals or the shared views in xenophobic groups, this means that their own descendants will have no share in the success of the minority concerning resourcefulness and chances for multiplying. Especially when an endogamous group is disproportionately successful, latent envy can arise in the surrounding society, manifesting in hatred and hostility.

Conclusion

The Darwinian aspect of xenophobia lies in the competition for limited resources that are crucial for one’s own reproductive success. When an endogamous minority successfully secures resources, society develops a sense of long-term exclusion. This latent fear can escalate into rejection, exclusion, and hatred—potentially leading to murder and genocide when such emotions collectively intensify, and societal mechanisms enable their realization. An evolutionary biological understanding of these dynamics can help develop strategies to combat prejudice and discrimination by revealing the deeply rooted psychological and social mechanisms at play.