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Description: • What are the origins of the current concern withe welfare? • Why do we have a “welfare state”? • What are the major theoretical objections to public welfare? This is the second edition of a well-established study of perhaps the most controversial and contested concept in the social sciences. The book traces the historical origins of welfare to eighteenth-century sources in moral and social philosophy and shows how, in the evolution of the concept, doctrines of welfare have been associated with a variety of social philosophies, including utilitarianism, rights, individualism and collectivism. The author explores the economic and philosophical rationales of the welfare state and considers the theoretical debate in the light of recent developments in social theory. He shows how the welfare issue has begun to affect the liberal versus communitarian controversy, and goes on to provide a thorough analysis of the rethinking of welfare policy in the light of criticism form the New Right. A new final chapter explores the unique history of welfare in the United States. The results is a well-rounded text for students of politics, sociology and social policy, and an essential reference for researchers as well as those with a wider interest in the welfare state. Contents: The idea of welfare in political thought • Utilitarianism and the origins of welfare philosophy • Anti-individualism: From the minimal state to the welfare state • Liberal political economy and welfare • The critique of individualism and the ethics of welfare • Justice, equality and welfare • Welfare, the welfare state and politics • Welfare: A postscript • Notes • Index About the Author: Norman Barry is Professor of Social and Political Theory at the University of Buckingham. Target Audience: Students and academic of politics, sociology and social policy. ISBN - 9788176492836
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Pages : 168
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