Summary Of William Graham Sumner's 'The Forgotten Man'

The Remembrance of the Forgotten Man
Humans, as a collective or individually, are inherently flawed and expected to contribute just as many achievements as they do misfortunes to the world and people around them. Society, in turn, as both a product and reflection of human action, is just as imperfect. Both can be viewed as machines, in a sense, as they are both producers of many products and byproducts; however, when a machine develops a problem, there is inevitably someone trained, or at least thinks they are trained, to fix it. If not fix it, then provide ideas for those with better means to do the job they cannot, for whatever reason. In William Graham Sumner’s The Forgotten Man, Sumner attempts to act as both the proverbial repairman and
Although this address took place in 1876, it is still relevant in today’s society, with many of the cases and examples Sumner provides for illustration still ringing true for many of America’s present labor force, The Forgotten Man takes a very long and hard look at society’s faults and offers advice for those both employed and employing. Sumner begins his address with several illustrations, such as the comparison between the attention yellow fever outbreaks garner as opposed to the ratio of death by consumption. He provides further examples with great inundations and runaway horses, and between debtors and those whom suffer from what Sumner calls “commonplace misfortune”. With those that receives attention on a great or even national level, whom Sumner refers to as X, are then observed by A and his companion B. A and B might be read as the government and upper class, respectively, for they discuss the matter of X’s suffering. In the end, the two decide that C, a member that was not even brought into the discussion until now, will do something for X, or perhaps A and B will let C join them in doing something to
Civil liberty is defined, to paraphrase, as the power of the people over powers and individuals above them, so that they may not abuse their powers. Sumner points out the fallacy in this, along with the teleological intent of the writer. He points out that, in essence, vice and corruption is in every corner and institution of the world, and not even a people meant to keep those in power from abusing their authorities are exempt from this. Even then, when power is taken from the privileged to give to the man with less, the privileged complains as if his whole life were taken from him. The word liberty brings to mind somewhat romantic notions, such as a man being able to do exactly as he pleases, without consequence, of which there is none for that degree of power would likely be recklessly abused. “True liberty,” says Sumner, “lies in the equilibrium of rights and duties, producing peace, order, and harmony.” Sumner then talks about how sentimentality has almost completely fallen out of the work force, but yet the “poor and the weak” so frequently displayed in the news are given the greatest amount of this leftover sentiment. While Sumner does not say that charity is wrong, he is not for the notion that it will bring whomever gives something back, either monetary or spiritual, then it does not; indeed, in takes something away from both the giver and a citizen