Some scholars believe Carnegie’s article, “The Gospel of Wealth,” to be the original text outlining the responsibility of philanthropy, a responsibility many believe is held by the wealthy. First published in 1889 in The North American Review, “The Gospel of Wealth” insists that the rich have a moral obligation to provide for the less fortunate, and Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant who made his fortune in iron and steel, puts conditions on the act of provision he demands of his self-made peers. For example, Carnegie is adamant that the offspring of a wealthy family are exempt from the category of ‘the less fortunate,’ denying that the tradition of inheritance is a worthy outlet for surplus wealth. Even more importantly to the public interest, indiscriminate donations of various sums of money made directly to the poor are deemed ill-advised, as they will surely cause more problems than they will solve. These conditions put forth by Carnegie are characteristic of not only the content of the article but of Carnegie’s bold rhetorical style. By starting and finishing paragraphs with strong assertions that reflect his certainty, Carnegie leaves very little room in his writing for dissenters.

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