Yale University professor William Graham Sumner was an advocate of social Darwinism. Sumner said, “The aggregation of large fortunes is not at all a thing to be regretted, on the contrary, it is a necessary condition of many forms of social advance…. Millionaires are the product of natural selection.” The Salvation Army advocated the Social Gospel. Author Charles M. Sheldon asked his readers to consider “What would Jesus do?” in regard to society’s problems. Explain the difference between social Darwinism and the Social Gospel.
What did each school of thought advocate in terms of social policies?
What actions did each believe the government or individuals should take?
Answer:
Social Darwinism believes that certain people are more powerful in society because they possess better qualities than others. It believes in the maxim of "survival of the fittest". The Republican Party believes in this theory and because they believe they are better and most able to be wealthy and influential, they refuse to help the poor because it is their fault.
Mercantilism is a theory that believes that everyone gets what they truly deserve, whether they are better than others or not.
Social Gospel Movement is a Christian movement which aims to help the poor and less privileged in society because of their Christian values.
