As Percy Bysshe Shelley said “There is no real wealth but the labor of man.” Often called the land of opportunity, the United States of America is known for its free market economy. In this free market economy, America has planted the seed for future entrepreneurs. Throughout time, this seed will eventually grow into a tree that will bear the fruits of one’s labor. However, many entrepreneurs have found different ways to cultivate this seed to bear fruit. Such two men named Dale Carnegie and Horatio Alger have given the world two of the most famous business philosophies. Those who pursue Horatio’s philosophy achieve success through hard work and dedication while those who pursue Carnegie’s philosophy achieve success by being very charismatic. …show more content…
However, through this chance, Frank is able to advance in society due to the fact Mr. Percival feels indebted to him . Although this story emphasizes luck, Horatio Alger also wrote stories based on “pluck” too. In his short story, Henry Trafton’s Independence, Horatio Alger writes about how a young boy named Henry has to deal with raising his younger siblings, Alice and George, when his father died. Being the oldest boy of fourteen, Henry has to deal with paying fifteen dollars for his rent. However, Henry’s determination to keep the family together impresses the landlord, Squire Castleton, to reduce the rent to ten dollars for the orphans and even provide some oxen and potatoes to start a farm for income. Throughout the year, Henry is shown to be taking odd jobs to support his family and is able to keep the family together and pay all expenses even when they were independent. Later on, Henry is given the squire’s farm at the halves due to the fact the squire has seen the potential in Henry. Although many people doubt whether Henry could take such a responsibility, the narrator states “But five years has passed, and Henry’s engagement still continues. I am inclined to think there is no chance of its speedy termination, as Henry is engaged to the squire’s pretty daughter…” (Alger "Henry Trafton's Independence") This shows that through determination and grit, Henry …show more content…
Carnegie dictates this idea through self-help books, such as his most famous work, How to Win Friends and Influence People. In this book, Carnegie dictates various principles to convince others to one’s way of thinking. For example, some tips include, “being sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires” and “show respect for the other person’s opinion. Never say, “You’re wrong.” As Carnegie said “When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion…” (Carnegie How to win 29) This quote provides the whole base for Carnegie’s work. When one is dealing with people, one must remember they are dealing with people who act based on emotions and not logic most of the time. Therefore, in How to Win Friends and Influence People, he profoundly states ideas in how to connect with other people and cultivate a certain type of “peace” in the process. By creating a friendly atmosphere, one can thus generate a feeling of trust others have towards him or her, and thus are more likely accept their own ideas. For example, if a boss is very friendly to his employees, the employer would gain more profit, more leisure, and more happiness in his business due to the sense of trust he had built up with his employees. The employees would be more focused on improving sales to make the boss happy due to their
In this essay I was asked to compare Wal-Mart's Sam Walton to a 19th century business tycoon. I chose to do Andrew Carnegie who was the leader of the steel industry in the late 1800's. Both these men had different views on competition, government involvement, interaction with labor and charity.
The industrial leaders, Robber Barons, of the 19th century are men who are very respected and admired. Andrew Carnegie was a boy from Scotland who came over to this country with nothing. He continued to save and work his way up in the industry until he had complete control over the steel industry. John D. Rockefeller was also one who came from an ordinary home. When he saw an opportunity, he took it, along with the risks. He came to control the oil industry. Another man that took many opportunities to expand and grow was Cornelius Vanderbilt. These men saw what they needed to do to become successful and they did it. These men's' lives reflected the Darwinian ideology of the times, "survival of the fittest".
Horatio Alger wrote several books to help young boys how to be moral and successful in an ever changing world with questionable practices. These books were enormously popular because everyone wanted their sons to be successful and to be respected; even though most of the fortunes of the day were made from dubious practices.
The rags-to-riches story is always a classical and inspirational tale that tries to touch our hearts. These stories seeks to arouse the warm, intrinsic emotions that all humans get when they proudly achieve a long-term goal. Andrew Carnegie’s life is the exception. Andrew Carnegie was an industrialist who guided the expansion of the American steel industry in the 1800s. During this period, the United States was a demanding country for steel to use in the rail roads. Andrew Carnegie was not a hero but a heartless capitalist because he sabotaged his competitors in the steel industry, applied his belief that “(competition) insures the survival of the fittest in every department” into social standards, and, maintained his employees in unfair working
Carnegie’s essay contains explanations of three common methods by which wealth is distributed and his own opinions on the effects of each. After reading the entire essay, readers can see his overall appeals to logos; having wealth does not make anyone rich, but using that wealth for the greater good does. He does not force his opinions onto the reader, but is effectively convincing of why his beliefs make sense. Andrew Carnegie’s simple explanations intertwined with small, but powerful appeals to ethos and pathos become incorporated into his overall appeal to logos in his definition of what it means for one to truly be rich.
In the “Gospel of wealth”, Andrew Carnegie argues that it is the duty of the wealthy entrepreneur who has amassed a great fortune during their lifetime, to give back to those less fortunate. Greed and selfishness may force some readers to see these arguments as preposterous; however, greed is a key ingredient in successful competition. It forces competitors to perform at a higher level than their peers in hopes of obtaining more money and individual wealth. A capitalist society that allows this wealth to accumulate in the hands of the few might be beneficial to the human race because it could promote competition between companies; it might ensure health care for everyone no matter their social standing, and parks and recreation could be built for the enjoyment of society.
People like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and J.P. Morgan are men who possessed the intellect, the foresight, and most importantly the work ethic to become powerful industrialists. These men displayed their work ethic to the country by being ruthless and tireless. They started something so important that a hundred years later it is still making a huge contribution to our country (Maury Klein pg. 32). What they started was the industrial revolution. Today our country is the most powerful in the world because of our great wealth. This wealth comes from the strength of our industry. “If thou does not sow, thou does not reap”(Hofstadter Recon.-Present Day pg.79). Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Morgan are the epitome of this statement.
Businessmen of the Gilded Age like Carnegie, Rockefeller, Morgan, and Vanderbilt were captains of industry. Industrialists economically improved the United States by contributing the most money, which was made from the successes of their companies. In addition, they were financially beneficial to communities and set an example of philanthropy and lifestyle for others to follow. Moreover, they resorted to unscrupulous tactics not only for their financial gain, but for America’s financial gain as well.
Carnegie and Gompers had similar ideas for the roles of wealth in society and in the power and value of different social classes. Both individuals wrote articles directed towards the wealthy in hopes of sending positive messages of improving the lives of the poor. They also agreed the wealthy and powerful refused to share money, mocked the poor. Although they had similar ideas for the roles of wealth, the main distinction between the two was Carnegie’s goal was to explain to the rich what they should do with their money while Gompers wrote to Judge Grosscup explaining that the Pullman workers are suffering.
There have been many wealthy men Throughout American history, many have been the topic of many heated debates among them, Andrew Carnegie. Andrew Carnegie at one time was the richest man in the world, who immediately after gaining that title began giving his money away. The impact and size of Carnegie’s philanthropic efforts are undeniable, but why he gave so much has been a topic of debate for nearly a century now. Carnegie’s rags to riches story is the epitome of the American dream and has been an inspiration to many entrepreneurs around the world.
Andrew Carnegie believes in a system based on principles and responsibility. The system is Individualism and when everyone strives towards the same goals the system is fair and prosperous. Carnegie’s essay is his attempt to show people a way to reach an accommodation between individualism and fairness. This system can only work if everyone knows and participates in his or her responsibilities. I will discuss Carnegie’s thesis, his arguments and the possible results of his goals.
Alger, Horatio. Ragged Dick, Or, Street Life in New York with the Bootblacks. Boston: Loring, 1868. Print.
You can see how all of these mindsets and some of the ones we discussed earlier played out in the lives of people around us like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Gates, and Donald Trump just to mention a few. Since these men are with us right now, let’s shift attention to how their lives reflect these mindsets and borrow a leaf there as to how you can be successful like them.
“The more you get out of this book, the more you’ll get out of life.” This is the claim that Dale Carnegie makes in reference to his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Carnegie proposes that there are four main ideas that one should use when dealing with people: 1) Know how to handle people, 2) Make people like you, 3) Win people to their way of thinking, and 4) Be a leader. These skills are essential not only in being a good manager, but also in dealing with people in day to day life.
"Entrepreneurship is the ability to create and build something from practically nothing" (Timmons 1). Entrepreneurs should be admired more than anything for