William Graham Sumner

In the 1893 edition of the Locomotive Firemen’s Magazine, William Graham Sumner published a piece on social Darwinism called the “Fruits of Evolution”. In this article William Sumner applies Darwin’s law of evolution to labor. He believes that because of the “processes of evolution” human intellect has become more robust and should be cultivated within the classroom. He argues “that those who command the largest educational advantages control those of inferior opportunities”. By examining the works

Penned and published in 1883 during an era of widespread economic uncertainty in America, William Graham Sumner's What the Social Classes Owe Each Other stands as the seminal treatise on the purely democratic concepts of societal obligation and shared responsibility. Sumner's infamous assertions regarding the relative status of individual people, which essentially argued that human nature inevitably produces both poverty stricken and privileged classes, forcefully challenged the socially acceptable

society are Sumner, Lloyd, and Carnegie. Sumner had a biased approached towards economy in favor of the powerful wealthy class. While Lloyd had a completely contradictory view from Sumner’s opposing most of Sumner’s ideas. On the other hand, Carnegie had a favorable argument for economic equality by offering help to the poor class in his way. Although these authors have opposing views on the economic inequality, they support their views with valid solutions and proposals. William Graham Sumner mentions

will summarize the life of William Sumner and his impact in the field of sociology. It will give a brief background from his birth, to his education, and end with his profession or career. His many contributions to further the field of sociology will be discussed; such as his theories, teachings, and books. The paper will also mention his major influence as well as those he influenced. His interests and pastimes will also be included.   Introduction William Graham Sumner was an American historian

opportunities for individuals to help themselves.” Unlike Carnegie, William Graham Sumner (1840-1910), an influential professor at Yale University, believed that those who were rich deserve to be rich and those who were poor deserved to be poor. He was in favor of economic inequality and believed that helping those who are less fortunate would bring down the society. This paper examines the differences between Andrew Carnegie and William Graham Sumner’s point of view on the issue of rich and poor and whether

Darwinism, which William Graham Sumner believed in, to Andrew Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth and to Walter Rauschenbusch’s The Social Gospel. William Graham Sumner was a firm believer in Social Darwinism. Social Darwinism is the belief in survival of the fittest, so the strongest in society are the ones who become wealthy. With this wealth Sumner believed that the wealthy should use it to support the other classes to give them opportunity to become wealthy themselves. According to Sumner “If you get wealth

industrialization and survival of the fittest ideals put forth by social Darwinism. Rothman quotes a sociologist whose point can be made to only relate to men. William Graham Sumner said, “Let every man be sober, industrious, prudent and wise, and bring up his children to be so likewise, and poverty will be abolished in a few generations. William directly points this line at the male gender in the beginning. He goes on to say industrious which involves hard long hours and women were already thought

When I think of culture, I think of what activities people normally do, things they wear, and even the food they eat. I grew up as a military brat, meaning I grew up in a military family. I traveled a lot and I have got to see all types of cultures, and I like them all for different reasons. I was born in Germany, and I love their culture because they are happy with who they are, they have really cool traditions, and I love their food. In Germany, if a person saw a 12 year old drinking alcohol, it

subsidized and legally privileged (Johnson 533)”. He explains the vast help of the government, toward the wealthy as a crucial step in accomplishing the impossible. In addition the article “What Social Classes Owe to Each Other (1883)” by William Graham Sumner argues that the few who managed to break through the barrier of the lower class was not with the help of others or the government, but by their own efforts and cleverness that got them to

William Graham Sumner is a social Darwinist who claimed that people who work hard are rich, while people who do not work as hard are poor. In his article of “What the Social Classes Owe Each Other,” he discusses the distinction between the lower and upper class. The upper class consists of all the determined hard workers, while the lower class consists of lazy workers. He believed that every man is given a chance to work for their success, but not everyone is able to grasp their opportunity and most