Lester Frank Ward was man much ahead of his time. He was born on June 18, 1841 in Joliet, Illinois. He known by most people to be the Father of American Sociology. His family was not that wealthy, which gives him quite an edge now. He fought in the American Civil War as a Union soldier. Later he got college degrees in botany and law. He also worked for the federal government for quite some time. He is known for the Telesis theory, which is the use of the human mind to control any given situation and change evolution in our society. He also wrote many books such as: Dynamic Sociology in 1883,
Psychic Factors in 1893, and Pure Sociology in 1903. Psychic Sociology showed how feelings, motives, and will in social affairs really work.
Ward believed that the social sciences gave humans the foundation for happiness. He thought science existed purely for the benefit of humans. He liked to think that humankind is not helpless. He was a very optimistic soul that really thought mankind had so much potential. "The people, through their government, could intervene in the economy and adjust it to serve their needs." He also believed that the reason why humans are separated from nature is because we were given a mind. He opposed Social Darwinism completely. Especially the work of Herbert Spencer. He did truly admire Spencer, but thought he lost track of his beliefs when applying the ideas to a political setting. I really enjoy Ward's optimism in all his beliefs and theories. He really did see things with a modern viewpoint, which is refreshing to see from a historical being.
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