Greed – the extreme, selfish desire to acquire what is beyond average necessities. Whether greed applies to wealth or power, mankind is prone to exemplify the cupidity. Humans may never become truly content with what they are given, allowing them to desire superfluous objects. The development of greed, as shown in repeated history, eventually leads to the ruination of characters, one particular character being Andrew Carnegie. Andrew Carnegie, the leader of the steel industry in the 19th century, epitomized the concept of greed by yearning for supplementary profits within his company; this greed greatly affected the lives of many, including Carnegie himself.
The captains of industry believed that the poor people were inferior to the rich people. The rich were superior because they had “wisdom, experience, and the ability to administer”. The duty of a rich person was to help out a poor person which was what was said in the Gospel of Wealth. The Gospel of Wealth is about how the rich person's responsibility is philanthropy. Carnegie believes in charity work so he would donate to libraries, and universities and schools and etc.
His goal was to make society fair and equal, with economic possibilities
Likewise, many wealthy people, including big business leaders, came to realize that it was their role in society was to give back. Due to all the negative responses, people such as Andrew Carnegie were huge philanthropists . They stated that because they were wealthy and were better inclined than most, they should be willing to help those at the bottom. Andrew Carnegie’s, Gospel of Wealth, explicitly stated how the wealthy have a moral obligation to give back (Outside Evidence). Other major responses to changes and the impact of big business were responses from the government.
In his quote, “For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have the right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others forever, and tho'
Both the “Social Gospel” and “The Gospel of Wealth” believed that there is a problem in society. The main difference between the two books is their completely opposing ideology. The Social Gospel believed it was the rich men who oppressed the poor in society. On the other hand the Gospel of Wealth believed that it was the rich who were the solution to fight poverty because they would ideally give back to the community and help the people in poverty.
Carnegie, who was a believer of Social darwinism, which was a belief held by many that stated that the rich were rich and the poor were poor due to natural selection in society. This was the basis of many people who promoted a laissez faire style of economy. He believed if you worked hard, you could be successful. He believed that a man of wealth should set modest examples and help those in need (DOC E) Carnegie donated more than 150 billion of dollars for libraries, colleges and concert halls. The high population density of the early twentieth century put pressure on fragile infrastructures and demanded insight from urban planners and politicians.
Underpinnings and Effectiveness of Carnegie’s “Gospel of Wealth” In Andrew Carnegie’s “Gospel of Wealth”, Carnegie proposed a system of which he thought was best to dispose of “surplus wealth” through progress of the nation. Carnegie wanted to create opportunities for people “lift themselves up” rather than directly give money to these people. This was because he considered that giving money to these people would be “improper spending”.
Becoming wealthy comes with a lot of responsibilities, Carnegie said that he lived frugally, so his money started racking up, and then he sold his business which concluded to an extreme amount of money. But many workers of his said that his conditions and wages were not fair for how much he was making. “Carnegie, more than any other businessman of the era, championed the idea that America’s leading tycoons owed a debt to society. He believed that, given the circumstances of their successes, they should serve as benefactors to the less fortunate public” (textbook). Carnegies’ Gospel of Wealth states that he put copious amounts of dedication into his work.
Life Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness is the motto that the American people live by. It has been difficult to get to where we are now with the countless wars, conflicts, depressions, and over all the differences that many groups of individuals have. Along with many difficulties that our government has made, there are also many positive decisions that the government has made to help further our economy. In the Gilded Age which was from 1880 to 1929 the United States was in the mindset that the average American, who was poor and struggling to make ends meet, is able to become rich.
Rather, he thought that wealthy men had a responsibility to determine how the money they made was spent. Carnegie himself became a huge philanthropist and his essay, “The Gospel of Wealth” started a large wave of philanthropy. His essay states that the “surplus wealth of the few will become, in the best sense, the property of the many, because administered for the common good, and this wealth, passing through the hands of the few, can be made a much more potent force for the elevation of our race than if it had been distributed in small sums to the people themselves.”
One of the many Gospel of Wealth advocates was Andrew Carnegie, 1835-1919, who was an industrialist who emigrated from Scotland to American in 1848 (Wall, ANBO). Carnegie’s “Wealth” written in 1889
He believed that if the wealthy don't give back some of their profits to the community, they are living a dishonorable life, and although I didn't necessarily agree with this radical viewpoint at first, I now am a firm believer in Carnegie's argument about wealth.
He believes that wealth is not the monetary value or possessions that you have, but wealth is your virtues and how you live your
The Bible gives several examples of faithful men who were wealthy, such as Abraham, whom the Apostle Paul calls “The father of all those having faith.” Abraham was very wealthy, not stingy, nor overly attached to what he earned. Job was also a very wealthy man who was always ready to help the poor and afflicted. How can I forget King Solomon, a man who wasn’t only blessed with divine wisdom, but also with abundant riches and glory? Those people show us that you can be rich and still have faith and serve God at the same time by helping others in need.
