The idea of survival of the fittest, first held by Charles Darwin, was commonly used in biology to refer to a species’ ability to survive while combatting natural selection and evolutionary changes. As the industrial economy prospered, individuals seeking riches and control over industries emerged. It was at these moments where the social adaptation of survival of the fittest took place, where having power and wealth attributed to “hard work, acquisitiveness and thrift”, whereas those who failed to be as prominent were subject to “laziness, stupidity, or carelessness” (Brinkley, p. 412). This was widely known as Social Darwinism, as only the “fittest” individuals could survive this corrupting society. Henry Ford was known to be one of the leading
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This could have been due to complaints from overworking and labor exploitation, but was also because Ford wished for good opinions from the public. Since two shifts were split into three, job openings were increasing as well as the need for new employees. It was very inviting to the unemployed as Ford managed to keep 4000 men off the streets (The Detroit Journal, 1-5-14). But, more workers would suggest more distribution of his profits, which did not seem to make sense. An employer would typically want to keep most of his profits which signify hiring a smaller group of employees and paying lower wages instead of giving money away. However, in Henry Ford’s mind, the increase in workers would help significantly with productivity, one of Ford’s main principles. He set out to increase efficiency in his company because it came with a larger output of products which was positively correlated to profits. In this manner, which one can call his true motive, he was not afraid to allocate his wealth to thousands of workers as he expected to receive a much bigger turnout as a response. “Why should Henry worry about paying out money when he was sure of getting it all back…” (Sinclair, p. …show more content…
25). When considering the wage increase with the low prices of the automobile, there was no doubt that these men would put money down for something that they took part in manufacturing. Ford was famous for developing this manufacturing process, the well-known assembly line, that created for his automobiles. Although Ford’s name is connected to the creation of the assembly line, there is little to no appreciation for the workers that actually participated in the process. In the end, it was Ford that prospered the most and it was all due to a simple process of lowering prices and increasing sales, and of course, the help of thousands of others below him. Their growing salaries paired with a growing interest to “move about and see the world” only made it easier for the automobiles to sell (Sinclair, p.
This could have been due to complaints from overworking and labor exploitation, but was also because Ford wished for good opinions from the public. Since two shifts were split into three, job openings were increasing as well as the need for new employees. It was very inviting to the unemployed as Ford managed to keep 4000 men off the streets (The Detroit Journal, 1-5-14). But, more workers would suggest more distribution of his profits, which did not seem to make sense. An employer would typically want to keep most of his profits which signify hiring a smaller group of employees and paying lower wages instead of giving money away. However, in Henry Ford’s mind, the increase in workers would help significantly with productivity, one of Ford’s main principles. He set out to increase efficiency in his company because it came with a larger output of products which was positively correlated to profits. In this manner, which one can call his true motive, he was not afraid to allocate his wealth to thousands of workers as he expected to receive a much bigger turnout as a response. “Why should Henry worry about paying out money when he was sure of getting it all back…” (Sinclair, p. …show more content…
25). When considering the wage increase with the low prices of the automobile, there was no doubt that these men would put money down for something that they took part in manufacturing. Ford was famous for developing this manufacturing process, the well-known assembly line, that created for his automobiles. Although Ford’s name is connected to the creation of the assembly line, there is little to no appreciation for the workers that actually participated in the process. In the end, it was Ford that prospered the most and it was all due to a simple process of lowering prices and increasing sales, and of course, the help of thousands of others below him. Their growing salaries paired with a growing interest to “move about and see the world” only made it easier for the automobiles to sell (Sinclair, p.