Is there a field of study...

[ApeNotKillApe]

That deals with the development of ideas on a Darwinian level? As in, something that observes concepts/ideologies more or less like an organism, and distinguishes what factors into how they're selected, how they've changed and adapted?

[vorlon13]

That deals with the development of ideas on a Darwinian level? As in, something that observes concepts/ideologies more or less like an organism, and distinguishes what factors into how they're selected, how they've changed and adapted?

Not sure this is what you're looking for;

there is software that can design electronic circuits from predefined components of known properties to do a specified (fairly complex) function.

Essentially, the software randomly assembles simple circuits, and keeps modifying the components values and how they are connected while evaluating the circuits function as compared to what it is desired that it do.

Since the software has extremely precise data on the components, including weird effects like lead inductance, lead capacitance, changes in a parts properties with increased current flow, the software sometimes uses components in unexpected ways a human designer would never consider.  I think an example of this I recall was a transistor only being connected  electrically on one lead, and the other 2 wires were used as antennas, and the transistor itself was the matching transformer/load for the signal.  It was really clever, but clever isn't the right word, it was random selection of desirable traits.

[ApeNotKillApe]

I meant more like, for example if you took Judaism, and determined the factors (the beliefs and practices) and how they led to the continued survival of the Jews as a people, despite the immensely harsh and hostile conditions the culture has endured over the centuries. There must be observable traits to this particular tribe that has enabled it to survive while others did not.

[Alex K]

It's not really a field of study, but that's certainly one of the things memes were invented for. Daniel Dennett I think has written about it in the contextof religions, too.

[vorlon13]

Pointing out some plausible 'positive' stereotypical traits of Jews and some plausible 'negative' stereotypical traits of their neighbors probably isn't going to end well . . .

[Cato]

That deals with the development of ideas on a Darwinian level? As in, something that observes concepts/ideologies more or less like an organism, and distinguishes what factors into how they're selected, how they've changed and adapted?

Dawkins introduced the idea of memetics in the 70s in The Selfish Gene. Memetics has more to do with information transfer so may not be exactly what you're after.