Giving Thought

Andrew Rudd- Charity & Philanthropy in Literature


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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 history. How is this reflected in literature?
  • Has any literature notably influenced public discourse, politics or the way charities operate? If so, how?
  • Does the study of literature and the humanities currently play a significant role within the wider academic study of philanthropy? If not, why not?
  • Can philanthropists and people who work in the charity/non-profit sector learn anything from literature? If so, what?
  • How can practitioners best find and make use of insights from literature?
  • Which current issues facing charities and philanthropy would most benefit from some literary insight?

Related Links:

  • Andrew's profile page at the University of Exeter
  • Mary Woolstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
  • William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience, including the two versions of "Holy Thursday"
  • Charles Dickens Bleak House and A Christmas Carol
  • Henry Fielding's A History of Tom Jones, A Foundling
  • William Langland's poem "Piers Plowman"
  • Rhod's book Public Good by Private Means: how philanthropy shapes Britain
...more
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