William Graham Sumner

Broschiertes Buch

What Social Classes Owe to Each Other

Beschreibung

The title of this 1883 classic of laissez-faire economics and sociology is ironic: the social classes do not, the author concludes, owe each other anything. Demolishing the theory of group obligation and fully embracing the concepts of dog-eat-dog social Darwinism, Sumner rages against the notion that the educated and wealthy have any obligation to the poor and uneducated, declares that the men should simply pull themselves out of poverty, deems taxes an obscenity and universal suffrage "immoral and vicious," dismisses the idea of "natural rights," and decries anything other than "every man for himself." A stunning evocation of modern libertarianism taken to its logical extreme, What Social Classes Owe to Each Other presents a bleak vision of contemporary industrial society... one valuable for those on all sides of the issue to understand and appreciate. American academic and author WILLIAM GRAHAM SUMNER (1840-1910) was an influential professor of sociology and politics at Yale College and president of the American Sociological Association from 1908 to 1909. He wrote numerous and varied books including Andrew Jackson as a Public Man (1882) and Folkways (1906).

Autor

William Graham Sumner was an American clergyman, social scientist, and a prominent figure in the development of sociology and economics. Born on October 30, 1840, in Paterson, New Jersey, he was educated at Yale University, University of Oxford, University of Geneva, and University of Göttingen. Sumner is best known for his role as a professor at Yale, where he held the nation's first chair in sociology. His influence on the discipline was profound, shaping the way social science was taught in the United States. As a leading advocate of neoclassical liberalism, he promoted the idea of individualism and minimal government intervention in social affairs. His philosophy emphasized that social classes were not obligated to support each other and critiqued welfare policies, viewing them as detrimental to both the wealthy and the poor. Sumner's ideas significantly influenced economists and social theorists like Thorstein Veblen and Irving Fisher. He passed away on April 12, 1910, in Englewood, New Jersey, leaving behind a legacy that continues to shape discussions around social policy and economic thought. Sumner's work, including his critique of social welfare, remains influential in debates about the role of government in society.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Cosimo Classics
• Seitenzahl: 152
• Erscheinungstermin: 1. September 2007
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 203mm x 127mm x 8mm
• Gewicht: 171g
• ISBN-13: 9781602067592
• ISBN-10: 1602067597
• Artikelnr.: 23150818