"The Gospel of Wealth" was an essay written by industrialist Andrew Carnegie in 1889.Andrew Carnegie effectively softened some of the harshness of the theory of social Darwinism. He preached that ostentatious living and amassing private treasures were wrong. Carnegie professed the virtues of a Laissez-faire system in which the government did not interfere with a corporation's right to do as it pleased. His "Gospel of wealth earned much praise, but it did not see many converts. Carnegie made it clear that the wealthy were responsible for the recirculation of their money back into society where it could be used to support the greater good. He goes as far as to say that in bettering society and people here on earth, you will be rewarded at the gates of paradise.

Carnegie himself practiced this procedure, and in his later years gave money to establish public libraries, schools and swimming pools.

Primary Sources

• virginia.edu: "The Gospel of Wealth" by Andrew Carnegie

See Also

• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• Carnegie Hall
• Carnegie Mellon University