Trying a short chronicle of philanthropy through the past

Trying a short chronicle of philanthropy through the past

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Philanthropy has long been a central part of a fair and flourishing culture, however the way that it works has actually changed for many years.

One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, quickly think about a handful of famous philanthropists who are well known for distributing their fortunes to causes that they care about. This is something that has actually been the case for lots of thousands of years, with the first recorded example of institutionalised philanthropy, as well as the inception of the philanthropy meaning and word, occurring over two thousand years earlier in ancient Greece. During this duration, the word implied something more comparable to 'loving of one's fellow human being', or humanism, than the restrictions of wealth one might apply to the term today, but nonetheless wealthy people played an important charity role in the culture. Wealthy people were anticipated to give back to the community, assisting to install the cash for repair work to public works like city walls or temples along with financing celebrations and other public events. Being stingy was not regarded well, and if a wealthy person was not seen to be a benefactor, they could be ostracised from the community entirely.

Several entities have been responsible for charity work throughout the ages. Although rich people and celebrity philanthropists may be viewed as the main charitable force in the modern world, that is not always totally 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 primary charitable hubs, both within the community and on larger level undertakings. That changed with the coming of industry when rich people ended up being more powerful, and then shifted once again towards the end of the 19th century when foundations began to spring up that were much better set up and could commit more attention to getting things done. This is much the same way that charity is structured these days, whether those foundations are built by grassroots groups, wealthy individuals, or businesses like SJP.

The manner in which charity has actually been financed has changed a good deal throughout the course of human history, moving in between various entities which hold the most power and wealth, just as the focus of charity work has actually altered as different needs have emerged. Now, there are a great many problems that need to be addressed, from increasing inequality to the climate crisis, and charity will inevitably play an essential part in that procedure. Rich people with bank accounts that would make a medieval kings blush have their part to play, but so do the businesses that are the central hubs of monetary generation in the 21st century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is establishing a foundation of their own or developing ESG dedications, businesses like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are starting to do so.