Andrew Carnegie was one of the first big businessmen to flourish in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He amassed a fortune in iron and steel, valuable materials with the spread of railroads. Carnegie believes that the socioeconomic change that has occurred over the past few centuries is highly beneficial to men of all realms of life, and ultimately necessary for the advancement of the human race. It is natural that wealth ends up in the hands of only a few, however there are several ways by which this wealth may be distributed:- It can be left to the families of the decedents
- it can be bequeathed for public purposes
- it can be administered during their lives by its possessors
The first option described is not very effective as it only goes to a few, and goes to spoil them. The second is slightly more plausible, but still improbable. Finally, it seems the third mode is the only that should work. Although wealth in the hands of a few may seem only to benefit them, it ultimately proves to be a greater force than if the money was evenly distributed among many, as the wealthy will invest into public projects such as schools that will ultimately benefit the lower classes. And so, the duty of the wealthy man is to serve as an example, living modestly, and distributing their excess wealth for the benefit of the masses as the wealthy can help them more than they can help themselves.
