William Graham Sumner American scientist Date of Birth: 30.10.1840 Country: USA

1. William Graham Sumner: Biography of an American Sociologist
2. Early Life and Education
3. Opposition to Imperialism
4. Contributions to Sociology
5. Legacy
6. Controversy and Death

William Graham Sumner: Biography of an American Sociologist

William Graham Sumner was an American scholar and the first professor of sociology at Yale College. He was widely regarded as one of the most influential and well-known educators at Yale. Sumner published numerous books and essays on American history, economic history, political science, sociology, and anthropology. He is credited with coining the term "ethnocentrism," which describes the methods used by imperialists to justify their actions. Some argue that Sumner was the founder of libertarianism. He was also a staunch critic of the concept of natural rights.

Early Life and Education

William Graham Sumner was born in Paterson, New Jersey. In 1863, he graduated from Yale College. After briefly working as a clergyman in the late 1860s, Sumner began teaching political economy at Yale University in 1872. Throughout his career, Sumner believed in minimal government intervention in economic affairs. He advocated for free trade, the gold standard, and was against socialism. He dedicated much of his time to promoting classical liberalism, which was based on free trade. To this day, there are many clubs named after him around the world.

Opposition to Imperialism

Sumner was not only opposed to socialism but also to imperialism. Like many of his liberal contemporaries, including Edward Atkinson, Moorfield Storey, and Grover Cleveland, Sumner spoke out against the Spanish-American War and subsequent attempts by the United States to suppress the rebellion in the Philippines. After the war, Sumner became the vice president of the Anti-Imperialist League, which opposed territorial expansion. In his legendary speech "The Conquest of the United States by Spain," which is still considered one of his best works, Sumner accused imperialists of betraying their own ideals and compared the morals of contemporary America to the founding principles of the country. According to Sumner, imperialism led to the rise of plutocrats who thrived on government subsidies and contracts.

Contributions to Sociology

Sumner also made significant contributions to sociology. He was particularly interested in diffusionism, ethnocentrism, and traditional patterns of behavior among different social and ethnic groups. His research on these patterns convinced him that government reforms were doomed to fail from the start.

Legacy

In 1875, Sumner became the first to present an English-language course on sociology. It should be noted, however, that William taught his students more about the ideas of Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer, rather than the traditional sociology that emerged 20 years later under the watchful eye of Émile Durkheim. Sumner served as the second president of the American Sociological Association from 1908 to 1909. Interestingly, he was succeeded by his old opponent, Lester F. Ward.

Controversy and Death

In 1880, Sumner became involved in one of the first cases regarding academic freedom. His fervent support for social Darwinism and ideas in Herbert Spencer's "Study of Sociology" seemed too contentious to Yale's administration. Sumner passed away on April 12, 1910, at the age of 69.