Giving Thought

In episode 62, we chat to Andrew Rudd from the University of Exeter about representations of charity and philanthropy in literature and how literature and the humanities can inform practice. Including: Which famous authors and poets have written about charity issues? What are some of the main positive themes about charity & philanthropy that can we identify in literature? What are some of the key critical themes about charity & philanthropy that can we identify in literature? What have famous writers said about the distinction between charity and justice? The tension between head and heart, between an emphasis on empathy and rationality, has long been a major source of debate within charity. What has literature had to say about it? What was Dicken’s notion of “telescopic philanthropy” and why does it remain pertinent to debates about international aid today? The idea of poorly-aimed, ‘indiscriminate’ charity that perpetuates poverty and reliance has been a huge source of concern for many throughout h