Yale University professor William Graham Sumner was an advocate of social Darwinism. Sumner said, “The aggregation of large fortunes is not at all a thing to be regretted, on the contrary, it is a necessary condition of many forms of social advance…. Millionaires are the product of natural selection.” The Salvation Army advocated the Social Gospel. Author Charles M. Sheldon asked his readers to consider “What would Jesus do?” in regard to society’s problems.
Explain the difference between social Darwinism and the Social Gospel.

What did each school of thought advocate in terms of social policies?

What actions did each believe the government or individuals should take?

Answer and Explanation:

1. The main difference between social Darwinism and the social gospel is the way each of these concepts shows how human beings should react to social problems and issues. While social Darwinism affirms that the human being should not interfere in how social problems and issues develop, the social Gospel affirms that human beings should interfere in favor of the most devalued social classes.

2. The Social Gospel advocates that social policies must be established and structured to help those most in need. Social Darwinism argues that social policies must be established to enhance the rise of more capable and efficient people.

3. For Social Dawimism, the government and individuals must encourage competitive actions that allow a select number of individuals to ascend socially, forming a social elite. The social Gospel, on the other hand, believes that the government and the people should encourage actions that create social equality and reduce the number of individuals in need socially and economically.