ABSTRACT
Markets are thought to involve large-scale interaction among people who know little if anything about each other, while philanthropy is said to centre on personal relationships between small groups of individuals who are well acquainted with one another's needs. Reciprocity is a human inclination towards mutual assistance and manifests itself in people's willingness to act together to secure their mutual benefit. Two key features of philanthropic activity are often mentioned: Philanthropy is said to involve behaviour that is in some sense, often left rather vague, benevolent or altruistic, involving one-way transfers or gifts of money from donors to recipients; Such disinterested behaviour is often said to involve the donors of largesse identifying with others and thereby forging a sense of their own identity. If it is true that certain human capabilities most notably the capacity for reciprocity and mutual assistance are central both to commerce and philanthropy, then those capabilities are likely to give rise to behaviour.
