George Fitzhugh On Poverty

George Fitzhugh was a social reformer who sought to reveal the causes of poverty and inequality within society. Fitzhugh did not view redistribution of wealth as a solution to the existing poverty and inequality within society, with an imbalance being inevitable. He argues that while people should be able to both obtain and inspire to have wealth, it is the position of the government to allow for individuals to be more involved with the government and gain access to the fruits of their leighbor. As a pro-slavery southerner, Fitzhugh argues that the capitalist economic system of the north is insufficient compared to the slave based economy of the south. The concept of being able to gain access to the product of one’s work leads to Fitzhugh being a proponent of slave labor, which is seen when he states “The profits of slave labor are that portion

Fitzhugh argues that white industrial workers in the north, are less free and lack the same worth of slaves. While the government views industrial workers in the north as merely a number, the labor and product produced by the slaves, gives them worth in the eyes of their owners. He argues the free labor system, with poor working industrial conditions is sufficient evidence to justify the southern institution of slavery as economically justifiable. He further argues that capitalism practiced in the North, can be equated to moral cannibalism, where professional middle and upper class can be viewed as masters, with free laborers being equivalent to slaves. Labor within the capitalist society society, the very labor and skill extracted in pursuit of profit enslaves these workers, provides greater deprivation than that seen amongst slaves in the south, because they are not given sufficient wages from their labors, leading to further impoverishment and economic imbalance in