Social Darwinism and the Gospel

Social Darwinism and the Gospel of Wealth How did the industrial and religious leaders as well as the government justify accumulation of wealth and resources according to Social Darwinism and the Gospel of Wealth during the late nineteenth century? The age of industrialization and economic growth in America during the nineteenth century is known as the 'gilded age'. This was a time when industrial growth and the accumulation of wealth were combined with the ideals of American individualism and the development of democratic deals.

In brief, the dominant social philosophy and worldview of the time was one that favored independence and entrepreneurship. The ethos of the accumulation of wealth must therefore be seen against the background of the emerging ideologies that were to form the foundations of the modern American capitalistic system and which underpinned the rapid economic growth of the country. These were the 'Gospel of Wealth' as well as the rise and popularity of Social Darwinism.

These were two social forces that tended to create a perception that supported the accumulation of wealth. As one commentator notes, in the nineteenth century America had "…become a nation where traditional ideas of democracy were modified by the values of as new industrial and urban society" ( De Santis, 2008, para. 1). This meant the rise of industry and large corporations, which implied large profits and the accumulation of wealth.

The effect of the rise of corporations was that they tended to overshadow the smaller entrepreneur with the result that there was a growing disparity in wealth. As America became the wealthiest nation in the world, it also began to change in terms of an increasing divide between the rich and the poor. The country was transformed "… from one of economic democracy with opportunity for nearly all to one of economic plutocracy with great opportunities for only a few" ( De Santis, 2008, para.1 ).

This was to lead to economic inequities and increased class differences. This situation in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century's therefore required some form of philosophy or ideology to justify or provide moral validity to the differences in wealth and in the access to resources. The philosophy of Carnegie and his view of the "Gospel of Wealth" were to provide part of this justification. Andrew Carnegie was an industrialist who made his fortune in the nineteenth century through the expansion of the American steel industry.

The main principle of his view of social economics is expressed as follows: "…the surplus earned by men of great wealth should be allocated and administered by them, acting as trustees, while they are still alive" (Carnegie, section 1, para.1). The important moral view of wealth accumulation lies in the fact that it is linked to religious and biblical text. It is seen to be in harmony with the Christian Gospels - which of course provides it with a great deal of validity. This view can be summarized as follows.

Being successful through accumulating wealth in the modern world is defined as prosperity and referred to the Biblical meaning of being prosperous. In other words, God blesses those who are faithful to Him by making them prosperous in this life. Therefore, it logically follows that those who are successful in accumulating wealth have been blessed by God. Furthermore, "This notion of blessing has incorporated itself into Western hegemonic powers that see themselves as the economic saviors of the world.

A nation faithful to democracy is blessed and called to spread this "good news" throughout the nations "(Withrow,2007, p.15 ). Coupled with this "gospel" was the support and verification of major scientific theories during this period. Social Darwinism was derived from Darwin's work on the evolution of the species. In essence, Darwin's theory of human evolution refers to the principle of the 'survival of the fittest," on which the ideal of human progress becomes possible.

Therefore, taking this principle into account, Social Darwinism attempt to explain and justify the social and economic inequalities in society in terms of those who are the strongest and fittest in the society i.e. those who are the most prosperous and who accumulate the most. Therefore, the vision that this theory produced was one that favored and justified the strongest and most successful in society.

In order to understand the impact of Social Darwinism one also has to understand the importance and respect given to science in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Darwinism was seen by many to be a scientific explanation of the truth of nature. This was also the era were science was the accepted method of understanding natural and social life and this therefore adds to its status and verifiability.

Applying this model to society therefore means that those who could accumulate the most wealth were seen not as being acquisitive or "greedy" but rather as being at the top rungs of the ladder of social evolution. In the final analysis both the Gospel of wealth and Social Darwinism provide an ideological and moral basis of the justification of the accumulation of wealth. In conclusion, the industrial leaders of the 19th century used two different but linked ideological means of justifying the accumulation of wealth.

The first that was discussed was the ideology of the accumulation of wealth as a means of prosperity for all that was in fact.