ABSTRACT

"According to Greek mythology mankind's first benefactor was the Titan, Prometheus, who gave fire, previously the exclusive possession of the gods, to mortal man." With these words the esteemed scholar Robert Bremner presents the first full-fledged history of attitudes toward charity and philanthropy. 'Giving' is a perfect complement to his earlier work The Discovery of Poverty in the United States. The word 'philanthropy' has been translated in a variety of ways: as a loving human disposition, loving kindness, love of mankind, charity, fostering mortal man, championing mankind, and helping people. Bremner's book covers all of these meanings in rich detail. Bremner describes the ancient world and classical attitudes toward giving and begging; Middle Ages and early modern times, emphasizing hospitals and patients and donors and attributes of charity; the eighteenth century and the age of benevolence; the nineteenth century and the growth of the concept of public relief and social policy; and a careful multiple chapter review of the twentieth century. Bremner reviews the act of giving in such comparative contexts as London, England and Kasrilevke, Russia with such figures as Thomas Carlyle, Charles Dickens, and Sholem Aleichem, as well as the more familiar wealthy industrialist/philanthropists, forming part of the narrative. The final chapters bring the story up to date, discussing the relationships of modem philanthropy and organized charity, and the uses of philanthropy in education and the arts. Bremner has an astonishing knowledge of the cultural context and the economic contents of philanthropy. As a result, this volume is intriguing as well as important history, written with lively style and wit. Whether the reader is a professional in the so-called "third stream" or "independent sector," or simply a citizen wondering just what the act of giving and the spirit of receiving is all about, 'Giving' will be compelling reading.

part ONE|20 pages

The Ancient World

part TWO|31 pages

Middle Ages and Early Modern Times

chapter 3|10 pages

Begging, Fund Raising, and Charity

chapter 4|10 pages

Donors and Attributes of Charity

chapter 5|7 pages

God and Neighbor

part THREE|40 pages

The Eighteenth Century

chapter 6|13 pages

The Age of Benevolence

chapter 7|13 pages

Poets and Philanthropists

chapter 8|8 pages

Beggars, Importunate and Long Remember'd

part FOUR|50 pages

The Nineteenth Century

chapter 9|11 pages

Relief of Need

chapter 11|14 pages

Philanthropy and Reform

chapter 12|8 pages

Love and Kindness

part FIVE|70 pages

1890s to the Present