Philanthropy – from Aristotle to Zuckerberg

A talk by Paul Vallely who will be discussing his new book, Philanthropy: From Aristotle to Zuckerberg

The super-rich are silently and secretly shaping our world. In this exploration of historical and contemporary philanthropy, author Paul Vallely reveals how this far-reaching change came about.

Vivid with anecdote and scholarly insight, this survey – from the ancient Greeks to today’s high-tech geeks – provides an original take on the history of philanthropy. It shows how giving has, variously, been a matter of honour, altruism, religious injunction, political control, moral activism, enlightened self-interest, public good, personal fulfilment and plutocratic manipulation.

Highly engaging and meticulously researched, Paul Vallely’s authoritative account of philanthropy then and now critiques the excessive utilitarianism of much modern philanthrocapitalism and points to how philanthropy can rediscover its soul.

Among the panellists will be Fran Perrin, founder of The Indigo Trust, a major donor to OCF’s Community Resilience Fund.