📚Philliteracy📚 Book Recommendations & Book Mentions

📚Philliteracy📚

Born OTD in 1872, French social anthropologist Marcel Mauss. His 1925 essay "The Gift" established many key ideas on how gift exchange functions as a method of social control & status. A core text for students of philanthropy. To cite, rather than actually read, of course...😁 https://t.co/N8UhbGnkUn

📚Philliteracy📚

Famously George Bernard Shaw explored issues around tainted donations in his 1905 play “Major Barbara” (which revolves around an arms manufacturer and his Salvationist daughter, and the ethical questions this throws up): https://t.co/snfhnzGf7i

📚Philliteracy📚

Died OTD in 1776, Scottish philosopher David Hume. In his 1751 "An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals" Hume argued that charity is a virtue, but may have undesirable consequences if done indiscriminately - a view that would prove very influential in the C19th & C20th. https://t.co/72g6QbmEvM

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📚Philliteracy📚

Jack London, from his short story "Confession": https://t.co/9Wq21jpT1r

📚Philliteracy📚

Reading Herbert Spencer's "The Data of Ethics", and surprised to find (in amongst all the social Darwinism) this pretty clear argument that those who have benefited from society need to contribute to its maintenance through engagement in public life (inc presumably philanthropy): https://t.co/wwkgfsQGn1

📚Philliteracy📚

Born OTD in 1819, US writer and poet Herman Melville. He is best known for his novel "Moby Dick", but in an 1853 short story "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street" he offers a pragmatic argument for adopting a philanthropic outlook as a way of avoiding trouble... https://t.co/TzYawppT4g

📚Philliteracy📚

Born OTD in 1819, US writer and poet Herman Melville. He is best known for his novel "Moby Dick", but in an 1853 short story "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street" he offers a pragmatic argument for adopting a philanthropic outlook as a way of avoiding trouble... https://t.co/TzYawppT4g

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📚Philliteracy📚

Died OTD in 1790, Scottish economist & philosopher Adam Smith. In his 1776 book "The Wealth of Nations" he gave a highly influential formulation of the idea that self-interest, not altruism, should be seen as the fundamental state of human nature: https://t.co/YE8hpf7HJw

📚Philliteracy📚

Died OTD in 1963, American sociologist, historian & social reformer W.E.B. Du Bois. In his 1920 book "Darkwater", Du Bois gave a fairly damning assessment of philanthropy's role within an industrialized capitalist society as primarily that of a sticking plaster: https://t.co/oVuoTsC4QF

📚Philliteracy📚

Born OTD in 1819, novelist and poet Mary Anne Evans aka George Eliot. In her 1871 novel "Middlemarch", Eliot adds to the widespread critique of "telescopic philanthropy"(i.e. where donors are seen as focusing on distant problems whilst ignoring those right around them): https://t.co/W93wnCXb3x