Cover -- Half-title -- Title page -- Dedication -- Copyright information -- Table of contents -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction: the need for a defence of philanthropy -- The need for a defence of philanthropy -- My interest in understanding philanthropy -- The empirical basis for this book -- Criticism and generalized cynicism affect both askers and givers -- A justification of the role, purpose and value of philanthropy in society -- The problematic consequence of damaging the reputation of philanthropy -- Three critiques of philanthropy -- When and why did hyper-criticism of philanthropy emerge? -- The successful landing of hyper-criticism -- The need for scrutiny and constructive critiques -- How the Covid-19 pandemic highlights the need for careful consideration of criticism -- The positive potential of philanthropy -- 1 What is philanthropy? -- The roles and impacts of philanthropy across time -- The ongoing contested terrain of philanthropy -- A diversity of causes and contexts -- Changes in who is called a "philanthropist" -- Changes in philanthropy causes and beneficiaries over time -- Philanthropic motivation over time -- The logic of philanthropy, the collective action problem and the impossibility of free gifts -- Explanations for the existence of the contemporary philanthropy sector -- The philanthropy paradox: greater public support for philanthropy than for philanthropists -- Longstanding mixed motives and the problem of generalizing about philanthropy -- Philanthropy's greatest achievements -- Historic greatest achievements -- Modern greatest achievements -- Reflections on philanthropic achievements and how they relate to critics' concerns -- Conclusion -- 2 Is philanthropy really under attack? -- Philanthropists have not enjoyed ceaseless praise to date -- Criticism of philanthropists varies across cultural contexts.

The longstanding nature of attacks on philanthropy -- Attacks on philanthropy in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries -- Attacks on philanthropy in the nineteenth century -- Attacks on philanthropy in the twentieth century -- Attacks on philanthropy in the twenty-first century -- Philanthropy in contemporary popular culture -- Summary of concerns raised about philanthropy: continuity and change -- Conclusion -- 3 The academic critique -- The academic critique of philanthropy -- Philanthropy is undemocratic -- Philanthropy is an exercise in power -- Philanthropy is insufficiently concerned with inequality -- Defending philanthropy against the academic critique -- The defence against the claim that philanthropy is undemocratic -- The gadfly defence -- The distinct and legitimate role of philanthropy -- Charity tax breaks are a tiny fraction of all fiscal incentives -- Charity tax breaks are decided by democratically elected bodies -- Charity tax breaks increase giving and are helpful for the demand side of philanthropy -- Against the claim that philanthropy is an exercise in power -- Against the claim that philanthropy is insufficiently concerned with inequality -- The "dead hand" of philanthropy or government -- Embracing the paradox of philanthropy -- The problematic consequences of the academic critique -- Conclusion -- 4 The insider critique -- The insider critique of philanthropy -- Scientific philanthropy -- Strategic philanthropy -- Philanthrocapitalism -- Effective altruism -- Defending philanthropy against the insider critique -- The normative challenge -- The reductionist challenge -- The attribution challenge -- The problematic consequences of the insider critique -- Delaying and deterring giving -- Increases the costs of fundraising and running a charity -- "Personal" philanthropy results in greater good -- Conclusion.

5 The populist critique -- The populist critique of philanthropy -- Philanthropy involves hidden interests -- Philanthropists are hypocritical -- Philanthropy creates material benefits for the donor -- Media coverage and the populist critique -- Defending philanthropy against the populist critique -- The populist critique promotes unhelpful and unfair caricatures of rich donors -- How philanthropists describe their motivation and philanthropic goals -- Donor motivations beyond the caricature -- Donor explanations for giving -- Anonymous giving and the caricature of conspicuous consumption -- Recognizing donors: the graffiti of government -- Challenging the "reputation-washing" caricature -- Populist critiques overlook ongoing efforts to improve philanthropic practice -- Cultural approval of philanthropy is related to donors' wealth -- The problematic consequences of the populist critique -- Conclusion -- 6 Why do attacks on philanthropy stick and what can be done about it? -- Do big donors have the means to cause harm? -- Do big donors have the motive to cause harm? -- Do big donors have the opportunity to cause harm? -- Reasons why attacks on philanthropy and philanthropists stick -- Do-gooder derogation: the preference for Goldilocks givers -- A nuanced response to critiques of philanthropy -- End ahistorical, unnuanced and ad hominem attacks on philanthropists -- Disentangle critiques of philanthropy from critiques of wealth and inequality -- Improve the practice of philanthropy -- Three ways to improve philanthropic practice -- Conclusion: in praise of philanthropy -- Philanthropy is not perfect but it has distinct value that is worth defending and celebrating -- Need for nuance, avoidance of generalizations and awareness of American exceptionalism.

We need more, not fewer, philanthropists: the billion dollar - or 2.5 trillion dollar - question -- Noah's principle: credit only for building arks -- Conclusion -- References -- Index.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2022. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.