Carnegie starts off with an elaborate, humanistic view of the widening income gap. The wealthy and the poor are becoming two very different groups of people. He believes that this change is for the best. He thinks that the people who are wealthy deserve to have much more than people who aren’t because they are more beneficial to society.
Carnegie however does not really believe that power should be concentrated in the hands of the few, and thinks that the common man should strive to learn more about his government and society so that he can play a more active role. He goes into an intricate description of options pertaining to the use of surplus wealth. Either it can go to the descendents of one family, or it can be given to the public for public welfare. Carnegie disapproves of the first method, believing it un-American and monarchal. He feels that each citizen has a right to earn their own money.
For the second method, Carnegie advises people not to wait until after death to make use of their funds, because after their death, their wishes can be twisted. Even though this method is most fruitful for the people, it is littered with disadvantages.
Despite the growing income gap, Carnegie believes the United States to be ideal in terms of economy. He believes that the rich and the poor have varied opportunities to make money, and that it is a choice how much money one has. However, this comes with the provision that the wealthy man should aspire to live an honest, non-indulgent lifestyle, and that he must look out for and try to get money to the poor people within the economy through employment or otherwise.
