Apostle of Human Progress

Lester Frank Ward is regarded as one of the greatest thinkers of the late 19th century. This work covers how Ward's thought laid the foundations for the modern administrative state, and brings out his contributions to 20th century American liberalism.

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Although Lester Frank Ward's accomplishments are not as well known today, he is considered the father of American Sociology and his work profoundly influenced such important thinkers as Thorstein Veblen, John Dewey, Edward Ross, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman. In Apostle of Human Progress, Edward C. Rafferty presents the first full scale intellectual portrait of this important public thinker. Rafferty shows how Ward's thought laid the foundations for the modern administrative state and explores his contributions to twentieth century American liberalism. Ideal for anyone interested in the history of American intellectuals and ideas.