Attempting a short chronicle of philanthropy through bygone times

Attempting a short chronicle of philanthropy through bygone times

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Since the ancient Greeks philanthropy has been fundamental to a healthy and efficient culture, and similar holds true now.

One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, instantly think about a handful of famous philanthropists who are well known for distributing their fortunes to causes that they appreciate. This is something that has been the case for lots of thousands of years, with the first documented example of institutionalised philanthropy, in addition to the source of the philanthropy meaning and word, occurring over two thousand years earlier in ancient Greece. Throughout this duration, the word implied something more akin to 'loving of one's fellow human', or humanism, than the constraints of wealth one may apply to the term these days, but nonetheless rich people played an essential charity role in the culture. Wealthy people were expected to give back to the society, assisting to set up the cash for repair work to public works like city walls or temples along with financing festivals and other public events. Being pinchpenny was not looked upon well, and if a wealthy individual was not seen to be a benefactor, they could be ostracised from the community altogether.

Several entities have actually been responsible for charity work throughout the ages. Although wealthy people and celebrity philanthropists might be seen as the central charitable force in the modern-day world, that is not always completely true, nor has it been for much of history. In the middle ages, it was religious organizations like the church that would have been the main charitable hubs, both within the town and on bigger level ventures. That changed with the coming of commercial enterprise when rich individuals ended up being more powerful, and after that shifted again towards the end of the 19th century when foundations started to spring up that were better set up and could dedicate more attention to getting things done. This is much the same way that charity is structured nowadays, whether those foundations are created by grassroots groups, wealthy individuals, or firms like SJP.

The manner in which charity has been financed has actually changed a lot throughout the course of human history, moving in between different entities which hold the most power and wealth, just as the focus of charity work has actually altered as different requirements have actually emerged. These days, there are a great many concerns that need to be dealt with, from widening inequality to the environment crisis, and charity will inevitably play a crucial part in that process. Rich individuals with bank accounts that would make a middle ages kings blush have their part to play, but so do the companies that are the main hubs of monetary generation in the 21st century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is setting up a foundation of their own or developing ESG commitments, businesses like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are starting to do so.