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Andrew Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth

Andrew Carnegie is a renowned businessman and philanthropist who wrote the Gospel of

Wealth. As the name implies, this document discusses a gospel that was aimed to unite the

wealthy with their responsibilities to society rather than separating them from each other

(Carnegie, p. 526). Carnegie argues that the rich have two primary responsibilities: using capital

wisely and providing practical advice for living and improving society's social conditions.

Carnegie believed that people should be responsible for their fortune because they should use it

as a tool to solve social problems rather than just spending it on themselves. He also believed

every rich person should give back some of what they earn for others in society can have a better

life as well. In this essay, I will investigate how Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth addresses two

critical problems in society, inequality that results from the rich being disconnected from their

resources and the social ineptness of the wealthy who continue to see their fortune as a means to

enjoyment rather than sharing it with others.

Carnegie's "Gospel of Wealth" attempts to understand the responsibilities between wealth

and society. He believes wealth can only be used positively by focusing on its positive outcomes,

like acquiring more property and livelihood opportunities. Carnegie states that a community is
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only as wealthy as its wealthy members because the rich have more resources than the

underprivileged. Therefore, the rich have a social responsibility to provide practical advice for

improving and bettering lifestyles (Carnegie, p. 535). Carnegie believed that the rich should use

their wealth to establish libraries, schools, and other institutions that would benefit all members

of society. He also thought that organizations such as museums, universities, and libraries are the

foundations of good government. These institutions will develop cultures differently because

they provide the foundation for education, art, literature, and progress.

In addition to using wealth for positive purposes, Carnegie also talks about using wealth

for philanthropy purposes. He believed that the wealthy have a moral obligation to support the

communities they are living in (Carnegie, p. 537). According to Carnegie, there are two primary

responsibilities of the wealthy: using capital wisely and providing practical advice for living and

improving social conditions in society. Another important thing the rich should do is provide the

necessary funds for public works. Providing funds for public works would help attract more

people back into poverty-stricken areas, which would give more businesses and jobs for people.

I think Carnegie's position is good because rich people need to be responsible for their

wealth. After all, if they are not accountable, they can easily abuse their power and privilege.

Carnegie's position is good because it is based on the principle of altruism. Altruism is the belief

that we should help others for the sake of helping them, not for our benefit. This is an excellent

principle to live by and one that rich people should follow. Second, I think it's essential for

wealthy people to take responsibility for their wealth because it can help promote equality. If the

rich use their money to help others, it can level the playing field. It can help close the gap

between the haves and the have-nots. Lastly, I believe that taking responsibility for one's wealth
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is the right thing to do. We should all strive to be good stewards of our resources. When we have

more than we need, we should help those who don't have as much.

Works Cited

Carnegie, Andrew. "The gospel of wealth." The North American Review 183.599 (1906): 526-

537.
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