description Lester Frank Ward Overview
Lester Frank Ward was an American sociologist, botanist, and paleontologist who lived from 1841 to 1913. He argued that human intelligence and collective planning could guide social development, contrasting purposeful reform with purely laissez-faire interpretations of evolution. Ward wrote Dynamic Sociology and served in 1906 as the first president of the organization now known as the American Sociological Association.
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What was Lester Frank Ward's main sociological argument?
Ward argued that human intelligence and collective planning could purposefully guide social development, an idea he termed "telesis." He actively countered purely laissez-faire interpretations of evolution that were popular in the late 19th century.
When did Lester Frank Ward live?
Lester Frank Ward was an American sociologist, botanist, and paleontologist who lived from 1841 to 1913. He was a prominent intellectual figure during the late Gilded Age and the Progressive Era.
Which group of thinkers did Lester Frank Ward disagree with?
Ward is famous for being the intellectual arch-enemy of the Social Darwinists, particularly William Graham Sumner. While Sumner argued that the free market should dictate social evolution, Ward argued for state intervention to improve society.
What fields did Lester Frank Ward work in besides sociology?
Before becoming a leading figure in American sociology, Ward was a respected botanist and paleontologist. He worked for the United States Geological Survey, which grounded his sociological theories in the natural sciences.
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