Major Thinkers in Welfare: Contemporary Issues in Historical Perspective

With unprecedented breadth, Major Thinkers in Welfare examines a host of views and theories on a range of welfare issues—including wealth, poverty, inequality, slavery, gender, family, education, crime, and the role of governments and markets in society—from ancient Greece to the end of the nineteenth century. Contextualizing the theorists with a look at their social values and perceptions of human nature, it offers one of the most complete histories of the thought of social welfare and highlights important historical complexities for some of the most urgent contemporary problems.

Vic George is professor emeritus of social policy and social work at the University of Kent and coauthor of several books, including Global Social Problems and Globalisation and Human Welfare.