The Forgotten Man and Other Essays

Though his writings are not spoken of as frequently as they once were, William G. Sumner was a prominent voice in the laissez-faire economic and social philosophies of the late 19th century. This 1919 volume collects some of his most significant essays and lectures, including:

. "Protectionism, the -Ism which Teaches that Waste Makes Wealth" (1885)
. "What is Free Trade?" (1886)
. "Prosperity Strangled by Gold" (1896)
. "The Delusion of the Debtors" (1896)
. "The Philosophy of Strikes" (1883)
. "Trusts and Trade-Unions" (1888)
. "Shall Americans Own Ships?" (1881)
. "The Science of Sociology" (1882)
. and others.

Students of modern politics continue to find fascinating parallels-and intriguing disconnects-with 21st-century realities in Sumner's work.


American academic and author WILLIAM GRAHAM SUMNER (1840-1910) was an influential professor of sociology and politics at Yale College and president of the American Sociological Association from 1908 to 1909. He wrote numerous and varied books including Andrew Jackson as a Public Man (1882), What Social Classes Owe to Each Other (1883), and Folkways (1906).