Angol
Do the rich have responsibilities toward society in the use of their wealth for the public good? In this volume, some of the leading scholars of philanthropy explore that question. The book opens with Andrew Carnegie's touchstone essay, "The Gospel of Wealth," in which Carnegie enjoined his fellow millionaires to act as trustees to the poor, 'to help those who will help themselves,' to administer the wealth of the community 'far better than it could or would have done for itself'. Historian Barry D. Karl looks more closely at Carnegie's 'ethics of responsibility,' and Albert Anderson returns to Aristotle to examine the concept of responsibility and what it means to be philanthropic. Jonathan Riley suggests ways to encourage through legal means a revival of liberal philanthropy. Kenneth Fox studies the history of corporate philanthropy and concludes that corporate giving has failed to carry out Carnegie's creed. Louise W. Knight discusses the example of Jane Addams, whose view of the responsibilities of wealth provides a sharp contrast to Carnegie's. In the concluding chapter Robert L. Payton argues that a more effective and responsible philanthropy will come about only by paying closer attention to philanthropy's religious roots.
