Philanthropy

Philanthropy, voluntary giving of time, assistance, or money for the public good. The term is from the Latin, philanthropia, which means “love of man.” Philanthropy is distinct from the concept of charity, which originated as part of the Judeo-Christian tradition and denoted unselfish direct assistance.

The philanthropic impulse is as old as recorded history. In many ancient societies, including those of Greece and Rome, the breakup of self-supporting kinship groups caused by urbanization led to the institution of state-sanctioned measures to aid the infirm, the poor, and the disadvantaged. Similarly, all the great religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, recognize and encourage a duty to aid the less fortunate. During the Middle Ages in Europe, an elaborate network of almshouses, hospitals, and orphanages was supported by donations from the rich and by church collections. With the rise of the modern nation-state, however, secular governments supplanted religious authorities as the primary philanthropic agencies.

In modern times, philanthropy is associated with the disbursement of time, talent, and financial aid by individuals for a wide variety of causes and charities. One of the best-known philanthropists was the American industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who devoted the latter part of his life to giving away most of the huge fortune he had amassed in the steel industry. Following the principles laid down in his essay “Gospel of Wealth” (1889), Carnegie returned over $300 million to society. Important philanthropic foundations of the 20th century were also established by Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller, among others (see Foundation).