The Gospel of Wealth

Andrew Carnegie (1835 - 1919)

What is the proper mode of administering great wealth? It is to address this question that steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie's famous essay "Wealth", or more commonly known as "The Gospel of Wealth" was written (in 1889). His answer – Philanthropy. Not just any philanthropy, but specifically, projects funded and overseen during the life of the magnate, for things that benefit the community and engage the public in maintaining long after the magnate is gone -- libraries, parks, universities, hospitals, medical labs, observatories, entertainment halls, swimming pools, etc. Carnegie deemed it the responsibility of every self-respecting self-made rich person in America and the world, to help the poorer classes to rise. Before he died he had built over 3,000 public libraries throughout the world, and to this day various Carnegie foundations continue his work in support of various social causes. (Summary by Michele Fry)

Genre(s): Business & Economics

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 Part 1, The Problem of the Administration of Wealth Michele Fry
00:32:48
Play 02 Part 2, The Best Fields for Philanthropy Michele Fry
00:43:20