Philanthropy Reconsidered >

Excerpts

Dust Jacket:

"Philanthropy" has become a household word when almost nobody knows what it means, and a popular movement when almost everything in it is changing. This book contains three powerful, original, analyses--of "philanthropy" as Classically conceived, of the American Revolution as Classical philanthropy, and of philanthropy today in paradigm-shift--which combined, produce a comprehensive, tightly reasoned, evidence-based, profound new understanding of philanthropy in America.

From Chapter One: Promethean Fire--the Archetype

The word "philanthropy" was probably coined by Aeschylus, the first great playwright of ancient Greece, in Prometheus Bound (ca. 460 BCE). Prometheus, according to myth, was the Titan who created mankind out of clay. His creatures, however, were at first not inspiring; they had no knowledge, nor skills of any kind, and consequently lived in caves, in darkness, in constant fear for their lives. Zeus, the tyrannical king of the gods, was not impressed, and decided to destroy them. But Prometheus, out of his "philanthropos tropos"--his "humanity-loving character" [lines 11, 28]--gave to his creatures two gifts (lines 250-258): fire, symbolizing all knowledge, arts, sciences, technology and practical skills--everything that constitutes civilization; and "blind (i.e. unknowing) hope," or optimism. These two gifts go together, as a mutually-reinforcing pair. With fire, optimism is justified; optimism motivates using "fire" to improve the human condition.

... The word as originally coined did not refer to loving all humans individually, because Prometheus' philanthropos tropos preceded the existence of individuality. At that mythical point in time the creatures that would become humans were living like animals, in caves, without any individuating knowledge or skills. The whole point was that they lacked full "humanity," and it was their distinctively human potential that Prometheus "loved"--what those cave-dwellers could make of themselves with fire and optimism. In fact, the Greek word philanthropia was later translated into Latin as humanitas. Full humanity, as a value-laden term, thus begins with philanthropy--loving it in the sense of caring about, seeking, and nourishing, human potential, or what it is to be human--and for each of us, "loving" "humanity" begins with our own."

From Chapter Two: "Philanthropy's Finest Hour: the American Revolution,"

American philanthropy is generally considered the strongest in the world, but the "philanthropy" which achieved its highest expression here was--explicitly and significantly--the Classical model, applied through voluntary associations, which were habitual in Colonial America. The Classical view supplied the conceptual model, and voluntary associations the institutional and procedural model, for the American Revolution and Constitution. By these means philanthropy became a fundamental cause, inspiration, and formative influence on the American Revolution, which consisted essentially in the application of philanthropic routines to national politics, and particularly nation-building.

Philanthropy created the United States of America as a purportedly philanthropic nation, and is therefore quintessentially American. The Founding Fathers considered it a leading argument for the Constitution. It may be the best explanation for the widely accepted superiority of our Founders. It also explains why they believed this could be both a good and great nation--a truly philanthropic nation, ideally benefiting all mankind in both principle and practice."