Ideas of Poverty in the Age of Enlightenment

Niall O'Flaherty (Editor), Robin Mills (Editor)

Research output: Book/ReportBookpeer-review

Abstract

This collection of essays examines the ways in which poverty was conceptualised in the social, political, and religious discourses of eighteenth-century Europe. It brings together experts with a wide range of expertise to offer pathbreaking discussions of how eighteenth-century thinkers thought about the poor. Because the theme of poverty played important roles in many critical issues in European history, it was central to some of the key debates in Enlightenment political thought throughout the period, including the controversies about sovereignty and representation, public and private charity, as well as questions relating to crime and punishment. The book examines some of the most important contributions to these debates, while also ranging beyond the canonical Enlightenment thinkers, to investigate how poverty was conceptualised in the wider intellectual culture, as politicians, administrators and pamphlet writers grappled with the issue.
Original languageEnglish
PublisherManchester University Press
ISBN (Print)9781526166777
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2024

Publication series

NameStudies in Early Modern European History
PublisherManchester University Press

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