Blog #22: Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth

The main idea behind Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth is that there are certain responsibilities that come with the accumulation of wealth. Carnegie talks about how the administration of wealth should be a main focus and also how the large gap between the rich and the poor should be welcomed. Both the rich and the poor benefit civilization in different ways and focuses on Social Darwinism. Social Darwinism is defined as the theory that individuals or groups are subject to the same Darwinian laws of natural selection as plants and animals. Carnegie expresses that even though the the law can be hard for some, overall the country reaps large benefit from it because it ensures that each category of industry is outfitted with the best people. He continues with how the diversity of class helps the country move forward because it ensures that the more ambitious or innovative people succeed and go on to help the country. Carnegie states that the environment of hard work is better for the country than one of comfort and that the "good ole days" were a falsehood because the world has made incredible advancements thanks to social Darwinism and capitalism. The Gospel of Wealth also addresses the "proper way to administer wealth" in which wealth is to be passed through family, public purposes or distributed by the person themselves. Carnegie goes on to state that those with wealth have obligations to society such as how the wealth would benefit the community, to administer their money and to live unostentatious. Carnegie ends the Gospel of Wealth with a great quote of "the man who dies thus rich dies disgraced" reinforcing the fact that the wealthy have the obligation to share their wealth for the benefit of society.

Bill Gates is one man today who has spread his wealth and donated incredible amounts of money to non-profit organizations.