Major Thinkers in Welfare Contemporary Issues in Historical Perspective

"This book has two virtues: it offers the broadest historical range of any study of ideas about welfare, and it uses the analysis to show how social context and philosophical approach shape thinking about social provision and the good society," Peter Taylor-Gooby FBA, AcSS, Director ESRC Risk Programme "In this scholarly and highly readable book, Professor George traces the history of welfare thought back to the time of Plato and Aristotle. In doing so, he adds a new dimension to contemporary debates about the ends and means of social policy and our perceptions of its intellectual lineage." Professor Robert Pinker This is the first book to examine the views of a number of theorists from ancient times to the 19th century on a range of welfare issues: wealth, poverty and inequality; slavery; gender issues and the family; child rearing and education; crime and punishment; and the role of the government vis-a-vis market provision. The book also looks at the values of the various theorists as well as their perception of human nature, for these tend to underpin their welfare views. The book will enable the reader to view contemporary issues in historical context and will be essential reading for students of social policy, gender issues, community care, social work and sociology.