Gospel Of Wealth In The Gilded Age

Jesse Morrow

Ms. Helvey

History Period 4

February 2nd, 2023 Although the Gilded age was primarily viewed as a progressive era for America, there were both gains and losses from this era. The robber barons were just one example of the negative side of the Gilded age. Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American steel industrialist and philanthropist who led the increasing expansion of the steel industry in America in the late 19th century and became one of the wealthiest Americans in history. Carnegie wrote The Gospel of Wealth in June of 1889 to advise others to follow his lead and lifestyle regarding wealth and riches. Herbert Spencer was an English philosopher, psychologist, biologist, anthropologist, and sociologist who was most known for

In the Gospel of Wealth, Carnegie states, “The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced” (Gospel of Wealth). Carnegie argues that people who hoard their wealth and do not use their wealth to improve society through philanthropy and donations are not contributing to the survival and success of society. This quote directly connects with Spencer’s concept of wealth and survival of the fittest, “If any one foolishly chooses, for the sake of saving a little money, to employ an uneducated empiric [medicine maker] he must take the consequences, be they what they may. He has acted under the guidance of his own free will, and, if he suffers, he has no one to blame but himself …” (The Survival of the Fittest). This quote highlights Spencer’s opinion of wealth, which is that when someone employs a less educated that, they have no one to blame but themselves and should face the consequences. At the same time, those who were less fit were left behind. Wealth for both Spencer and Carnegie was seen as a measure of individual success for survival and a sign of superior abilities and qualities. These quotes show the similarity between the two sources because both sources repeatedly bring up the idea of the wealthy assisting and providing for the working class. Both of these quotes highlight the shared ideology that wealthier individuals should strive to improve society

In contrast, The Survival of the Fittest, written by Herbert Spencer, was aimed toward a larger population. While both sources promote the idea of individualism, the difference in their purpose and ideas of individualism highlights the fundamentally different values and beliefs both sources represent. In the Gospel of Wealth, Carnegie says, “The millionaire will be but a trustee for the poor; entrusted for a season with a great part of the increased wealth of the community but administering it for the community far better than it could or would have done for itself” (The Gospel of Wealth). This excerpt shows that, for Carnegie, individualism means using one’s wealth and resources to serve the greater good and support those around us rather than simply pursuing oneself. While on the other hand, Spencer believes that the concept of survival of the fittest naturally occurs within society, “It favors the multiplication of those worst fitted for existence, and, by consequence, hinders the multiplication of those best fitted for existence—leaving, as it does, less room for them” (The Survival of the Fittest). From this excerpt alone, we can see that Spencer believes that strong and capable individuals will naturally rise to the top in a generally competitive society. In contrast, the weak and less capable will be left behind. The difference in purpose in The Gospel of