social evolution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Darwinism

was wondering about something, i am interested in how Progress in social darwinism seems to mirror a Hegelian model of historical teleology. I dont think that positivism and the positivists had anything to do with Hegelian thought (i would think they would abhor it...), but it seems that, in the final analysis, that both positiivists and hegelians formulate a similar model/ ideology of modernity/ progress. have you ran into any discussion of this? i am writing/ reseraching an essay about the neocons, terror, Mid east and want to discuss Fukuyama's "end of history" thesis, which draws explicity on Hegel and is seminal to neocon strategy of aggressive promulgation of poli-econ Liberalism. however, when looking at development discourse in economic and social terms, also important in the conceptual prefiguring of the Middle east in terms of 3rd world, "less developed," barbaric, or whatever the current euphamism is, i would say it is much more informed by social evolutionary ideology. the point is, both ideologies get us to the same place, "they" are our past, and we are their future, which frames and enables development agencies, the US, and other "great" powers to act, just like a christianizing mission: they are heathens and it is our duty as christians who know what the fuck is going on to change them and bring them out of darkness. and so i am wondering if and how these two ideologies are linked, they are just so close conceptually it appears to me.