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Andrew Carnegie A Hero Essay

676 Words3 Pages

A "hero" is considered to be courageous and to have noble qualities and achievements, but over time, the "hero" definition changes to be something else. The view of a "hero" now has become one of wealth. Andrew Carnegie was a man of wealth and was a hero during the second Industrial Revolution, as well as a well-known great philanthropist. Due to his achievements in helping people, many have considered him to be a hero, while others view him as only benefiting himself.

Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland, where his family was not the wealthiest and had difficulty maintaining a standard of living. The Carnegie family of four lived in an attic room above the shop that belonged to his father, who was a weaver, but it was shared with another family (Doc 1). When the Carnegie family decided to come over to America, he started working at the age of 18. He was noticed by the general superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad, where he became interested in steel and its benefits. …show more content…

Carnegie believed in laissez-faire capitalism, but if the law ensured the survival of the fittest, then let the government's laws interfere (Doc 2). In addition, Carnegie argued that it was shameful for the wealthy to utilize their wealth to advance society while they were still alive, as opposed to the widespread practice of leaving all of one's wealth to one's successors. He believed that the duty of wealth should be used to set examples of modest living and produce beneficial results for the community. (Doc

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