Paul Vallely

Philanthropy (eBook, PDF)

From Aristotle to Zuckerberg

• Format: PDF

Produktbeschreibung

'This is the definitive book on philanthropy - its history, contradictions and future' - John Gray, Emeritus Professor of European Thought, London School of Economics

'Good books lay out the lie of the land. Important books change it. This book is both' - Giles Fraser, priest, journalist and broadcaster

The super-rich are silently and secretly shaping our world. In this groundbreaking exploration of historical and contemporary philanthropy, bestselling author Paul Vallely reveals how this far-reaching change came about.

Vivid with anecdote and scholarly insight, this magisterial survey - from the ancient Greeks to today's high-tech geeks - provides an original take on the history of philanthropy. It shows how giving has, variously, been a matter of honour, altruism, religious injunction, political control, moral activism, enlightened self-interest, public good, personal fulfilment and plutocratic manipulation.

Its narrative moves from the Greek man of honour and Roman patron, via the Jewish prophet and Christian scholastic - through the Elizabethan machiavel, Puritan proto-capitalist, Enlightenment activist and Victorian moralist - to the robber-baron philanthropist, the welfare socialist, the celebrity activist and today's wealthy mega-giver. In the process it discovers that philanthropy lost an essential element as it entered the modern era. The book then embarks on a journey to determine where today's philanthropists come closest to recovering that missing dimension.

Philanthropy explores the successes and failures of philanthrocapitalism, examines its claims and contradictions, and asks tough questions of top philanthropists and leading thinkers - among them Richard Branson, Eliza Manningham-Buller, Jonathan Ruffer, David Sainsbury, John Studzinski, Bob Geldof, Naser Haghamed, Lenny Henry, Jonathan Sacks, Rowan Williams, Ngaire Woods, and the presidents of the Rockefeller and Soros foundations, Rajiv Shah and Patrick Gaspard. In extended conversations they explore the relationship between philanthropy and family, faith, society, art, politics, and the creation and distribution of wealth.

Highly engaging and meticulously researched, Paul Vallely's authoritative account of philanthropy then and now critiques the excessive utilitarianism of much modern philanthrocapitalism and points to how philanthropy can rediscover its soul.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bloomsbury UK eBooks
• Seitenzahl: 768
• Erscheinungstermin: 17. September 2020
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781472920140
• Artikelnr.: 60056065

Autorenporträt

Paul Vallely is a top-flight journalist with a international reputation as a commentator on religion, society and political issues. He was correspondent for The Times in Ethiopia during the famine of 1984-5 for which he was commended as International Reporter of the Year. He was the co-author of Bob Geldof's massive-selling autobiography, Is That It? and was later involved in the organisation of Live 8. In 2004 he was seconded to the Commission for Africa set up by the British prime minister, Tony Blair where he worked on the Commission's report Our Common Interest (later published by Penguin). He is the editor of The New Politics: Catholic Social Teaching for the 21st century and has advised the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales. He was created a CMG 'for services to journalism and to the developing world' in 2006.

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction 1 Two Visions of Philanthropy 2 The Foundations of Western
Philanthropy 3 Medieval Charity 4 How the Black Death Changed Everything 5
The Great Myth of the Reformation 6 The Business of the State 7 The
Philanthropist as Activist 8 Victorian Virtues and Vices 9 Survival of the
Fattest 10 Cradle to Grave - Philanthropy and the Welfare State 11 The
Staggering Success of Philanthrocaptialism 12 The Serious Shortcomings of
Philanthrocaptialism 13 Philanthropy Goes Global 14 Celebrity Philanthropy
15 Geeks Bearing Gifts - Philanthropy and Politics 16 Is Philanthropy Bad
For Democracy? 17 Effective Altruism - What Could be Wrong with That? 18
How Philanthropy Can Recover Its Lost Soul Epilogue: Philanthropy After the
Pandemic Notes Further Reading Picture Credits Acknowledgments Index