Philosophy of the Industrialists

Vocabulary Review industrialization free enterprise entrepreneur monopoly Be sure students have access to support for these terms (from earlier class notes or activities, or from textbook or other resource).

Ask students to identify some of the key characteristics of Mr Ask students to identify some of the key characteristics of Mr. Monopoly (aka Rich “Uncle” Pennybags).

I see… I hear… I taste… I touch… I think… I feel… industrialization free enterprise entrepreneur monopoly I see… I hear… I taste… I touch… I think… I feel… Ask students to consider how they would complete the sentence stems to complete a sensory figure description of Mr. Monopoly, being sure to use the vocabulary terms provided at least once. Students should write their ideas on the provided handout or in their notebooks.

Share Your Ideas with a Partner… Give students approximately 5 minutes to share their responses with a partner.

Share Your Ideas with the another group… Call on a few partner pairs to share responses. Use this time to formatively assess student master of vocabulary, and re-teach as necessary. Call on enough groups to ensure that all students can correctly use each term somewhere in their sensory figure descriptions.

Make any necessary revisions to improve your work… Allow a few minutes for students to revise responses after group discussion.

We have been analyzing the Rise of Industry Introduce students to the lesson by reminding them about the Rise of Industry, including new types of factory manufacturing.

And the economic growth of the late 19th century Students should have learned about innovations in transportation, communication, and production prior to today’s lesson, so the images above should help connect to prior knowledge of the time period.

Today we will be looking at some of the PHILOSOPHIES associated with the time period. The next slide will allow students to focus on the term PHILOSOPHIES

PHILOSOPHIES Give students a few seconds to consider the term PHILSOPHIES (or philosophy)…

What does it mean to have a PHILOSOPHY? Lead a brief focused discussion: Where have students heard the term before? What might be the definition of philosophy?

Some philosophies of the time were attempts to justify the status quo (and the staggering wealth gained by the few)… This is a good opportunity to review individuals such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and J.P. Morgan – and business practices such as vertical and horizontal integration…

Industrialists were supporters of Adam Smith and the idea that an economy free of government interference (a free market) guaranteed economic prosperity. An opportunity to expand on student understanding of free enterprise – students should also be familiar with the idea of a “free market”.

Supporters of Big Business referred to industrialists of the period as Ask students what features of Gilded Age entrepreneurs would be emphasized if we chose the term “Captains of Industry”?

Other philosophies were critical of Big Business…

And coined the term “Robber Barons” to describe industrialists growing rich at the expense of the common man Ask students what characteristics of Gilded Age entrepreneurs we would highlight if we chose the term “Robber Barons”?

Support student analysis of the cartoon by pointing out the two time periods portrayed and the visual clues provided by the author to justify the portrayal of entrepreneurs as “Robber Barons”

Utilitarianism, Socialism, and Marxism all emerged as alternatives to a capitalist economic system The World History curriculum includes study of these philosophies as “Responses to Industrialization” with an emphasis on Europe. The following slides help to support understanding of each.

Utilitarianism The Few The Many Utilitarianism is a philosophy that promotes the ideas that ideas, institutions, and laws should be valued on the basis of their utility (usefulness). Utilitarianism argues that government should promote the greatest good for the greatest number of people – and a government policy was only useful if it promoted this goal. Utilitarian philosophers came to question unregulated capitalism as benefitting the few over the many, and argued that policies should promote a more equal division of profits to working people. The Many

Socialism Socialism is an economic system attempting to offset some of the negative effects of industrialization, by arguing that the factors of production ought to be owned by the public (or the state) and operated for the welfare of all. Socialists have a deep concern for social justice, and believe that the government should actively plan the economy and NOT rely on free market capitalism. Public ownership, they believe, will help the workers who they saw as at the mercy of greedy business owners. The symbol of Socialism is a red rose – the color red is generally associated with socialism (symbolizing the blood shed by workers and a symbol of the worker's cause).  After the haymarket incident (which students will learn about while studying the Labor Movement), socialists wore red roses on dress lapels to pay tribute to the deceased in numerous protest marches. From that point it began to be used as a symbol for many european socialist parties.

This socialist propaganda clearly illustrates the viewpoint that the rich and powerful have built their power and wealth on the backs of working people.

Marxism Marxism – often referred to as communism – argues that human societies have always been divided into warring classes –the “haves” and the “have notes” (aka the bourgeoisie and proletariat). Karl Marx (with Friedrich Engels) predicted a workingman’s revolution to secure economic equality. Their symbol – a sickle (to represent agricultural workers) and a hammer (to represent industrial workers) represent the call for workers to unite.

Marx predicted the workingman’s revolution to result in communism – a form of complete socialism in which all means of production – all land, mines, factories, railroads, businesses – would be owned by the people. Private property would cease to exist, and all goods and services would be shared equally.

People feared the growing power of corporate monopolies The philosophies of Utilitarianism, Socialism, and Marxism were reactions to the fear of unregulated capitalism, the growing gap between rich and poor, and the increasing power of big business.

The Bosses of the Senate – allow students some time to analyze the cartoon, including the author’s viewpoint about the power of monopolies in U.S. government.

And yet the philosophies of the industrialists became - and remain - defining features of American economic ideology

While competing philosophies have been (and still are) condemned as “radical” “un-American” or “evil” A quick image search for “socialism” will turn up a remarkable amount of imagery, in which socialism is almost always linked to Hitler, the Nazis, or other un-American ideas.

To understand the Philosophy of Industrialists, we will examine three: Laissez-Faire, Social Darwinism, and the Gospel of Wealth Distribute copies of The Philosophy of Industrialists.

Why does Adam Smith think self-interest can result in benefits for society as a whole? Do you agree? Why/why not?    According to laissez-faire economics, how should government behave? Why?

Share Your Ideas with a Partner…

Share Your Ideas with the another group…

Write a definition of Laissez faire in your own words in the space provided.

How does Social Darwinism reflect the idea of “survival of the fittest” (also referred to as natural selection)? What role does competition play in this kind of natural selection? What services for the poor are justified, according to Social Darwinism? Do these ideas about the poor still exist in society today? Is it an accurate portrayal of people living in poverty that they “demand more than they contribute”? Why/Why not?

Share Your Ideas with a Partner…

Share Your Ideas with the another group…

Write a definition of Social Darwinism in your own words in the space provided.

How does Andrew Carnegie describe the “man of wealth”? Do you agree with this description? Why/why not? Are Carnegie’s view of the poor different from a supporter of Social Darwinism? What services for the poor are justified, according to the Gospel of Wealth? Do these ideas about the poor still exist in society today? Be sure to inform students about the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie – philanthropy is the desire to promote the welfare of others, specifically in the form of donation of generous amounts of money to good causes. Carnegie, in his lifetime, donated over $56 million to build 2,509 libraries throughout the English-speaking world, and donated money to universities (Carnegie Mellon) and other public works (Carnegie Hall). Ask students to consider some of the other places/institutions that bear the name of philanthropic donors from the Gilded Age (Vanderbilt University, Rockefeller Plaza, etc…)

Share Your Ideas with a Partner…

Share Your Ideas with the another group…

Write a definition of Gospel of Wealth in your own words in the space provided.

Complete the sentence stems at the bottom of the page.

Note the “sacrificed buds” bearing the title COMPETITORS – review (if necessary) how Rockefeller eliminated competition. The artist is attempting to show that this is not “natural” as Rockefeller claims. The American Beauty Rose (titled Standard Oil Co.) is an unnatural monster. How does the cartoonist interpret John D. Rockefeller’s remark in the cartoon? What business practices might the cartoonist be referring to?

How does the cartoonist interpret Andrew Carnegie’s philosophy of the Gospel of Wealth? Students will probably use the term “Two-faced” to describe the artist’s portrayal of Carnegie. Be sure students know what this means, and can use evidence from the cartoon and caption to support their answer.

Now you will use what you have learned to CREATE a political cartoon on Laissez-faire. Students do not have to portray Laissez-faire negatively as the two cartoons provided did with Social Darwinism and Gospel of Wealth, though infusing their original cartoon with personal opinion will allow for the highest level of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (of Laissez-faire).

Notice how the artist conveys POINT OF VIEW…

How will you portray the concept of Laissez-faire in the imagery of a political cartoon?