Jane Addams Quotes
Is it possible for men, however far apart in outward circumstances, for the capitalist and the working-man, to use the common phrase, to meet as individuals beneath a friendly roof, open their minds each to each, and not have their "class theories" insensibly modified by the kindly attrition of a personal acquaintance? In the light of our experience I should say not.
This conclusion was hard for her to make as prior there was a romantic idea of American equality, which may well have worked in the early frontier where a man’s usefulness in defending against the French, British and Indians transcended wealth and produced equality of value. With less danger, this ethos disappears and often reappears in war but generally not otherwise. Arguably the digital cyberculture where one’s programming competence defines a social level regardless of wealth, nationality, or religion and often even formal education.
Jane Addams, 1860-1935, Social settlement worker & peace advocate, Nobel Laureate in Peace, “The Objective Value Of A Social Settlement”, 1893
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This was the prevailing view in Europe at the time; it was less so in the United States, where there were so many people who owned their own land and farmed it or developed manufacturing facilities and hence were the mind AND the limbs of the enterprises. However, the upper classes tended to agree with the European view. The difference between the American and European views was one of class mobility. In America “limbs” who demonstrated capacities of “mind” were much more able to advance in America. However, even into the 21st century here was a general feeling of the upper class that the “minds” made the critical and impactful decisions. This is one of the reasons that executive and CEO pay advanced so rapidly when compared with workers (the “linbs”).
Most pressure for political correctness comes from the center or the left. On this area however, pressure to avoid speaking of this comes from left and right. The left is concerned that by discussing the reality the poorer performing subgroups will be stigmatized and public behavior will make the situation worse. The right would prefer that there is little or no political dialogue regarding the huge differences in outcome in America where individual ability and effort seems to play such a large part of the differential. I addition, they see the making of these distinctions as the beginning of class warfare.
Worry about the disproportional power of the rich is not a modern concern, but was a concern from the very beginning of the nation. There was a belief that if there were a legislative body representing the entire population the rich would tend to dominate it. The solution that England had found was a bicameral Parliament—a House of Lords representing the wealthy and the powerful and the House of Commons, representing the bulk of the people. America followed suit but never did have the class distinction of England.
This quotation became very famous because U. S. Senator Joseph Biden Jr. plagiarized it and was caught by the press.
Jane Addams was an American settlement activist, reformer, social worker, sociologist, public administrator and author. She was an important leader in the history of social work and women's suffrage in the United States and advocated for world peace. She co-founded Chicago's Hull House, one of America's most famous settlement houses. In 1910, Addams was awarded an honorary master of arts degree from Yale University, becoming the first woman to receive an honorary degree from the school. In 1920, she was a co-founder for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
