Trying a quick chronicle of philanthropy through bygone times

Trying a quick chronicle of philanthropy through bygone times

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Philanthropy has long been a main part of a reasonable and flourishing culture, however the manner in which it works has changed throughout the years.

One might, when one hears the word philanthropy, immediately think of a handful of famous philanthropists who are well known for giving away their fortunes to causes that they appreciate. This is something that has been the case for lots of thousands of years, with the very first recorded example of institutionalised philanthropy, in addition to the source of the philanthropy meaning and word, occurring over 2 thousand years back in ancient Greece. During this duration, the word meant something more comparable to 'caring of one's fellow man', or humanism, than the constraints of wealth one may apply to the term these days, but nonetheless wealthy people played an essential charity role in the culture. Wealthy people were anticipated to give back to the community, assisting to set up the cash for repair work to public works like city walls or temples as well as funding festivals and other public events. Being stingy was not regarded well, and if a wealthy individual was not seen to be a philanthropist, they could be ostracised from the society altogether.

Several entities have been accountable for charity work throughout the ages. Although wealthy people and celebrity philanthropists may be viewed as the central charitable force in the modern-day world, that is not necessarily totally correct, nor has it been for much of history. In the middle ages, it was spiritual institutions like the church that would have been the primary charitable hubs, both within the town and on larger level undertakings. That changed with the coming of commercial enterprise when wealthy people became more powerful, and after that shifted again towards the end of the 19th century when foundations began to emerge that were much better organised and could dedicate more attention to getting things done. This is much the same way that charity is structured now, whether those foundations are developed by grassroots groups, rich individuals, or businesses like SJP.

The manner in which charity has been funded has actually 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 changed as various needs have actually emerged. Nowadays, there are a great many problems that need to be addressed, from rising inequality to the environment crisis, and charity will inevitably play an essential part in that procedure. Wealthy individuals with savings account that would make a medieval kings blush have their part to play, but so do the businesses that are the main hubs of financial generation in the 21st century through things like corporate philanthropy. Whether that is establishing a foundation of their own or establishing ESG commitments, businesses like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard Group are starting to do so.