Monopoly Philanthropy and the Humanitarian New World Order

In this introduction, we position philanthropy and humanitarianism in relation to each other as well as to older forms of charity and futurist assumptions about the welfare of society. For many, philanthropy is an unassailable good, and humanitarianism, by its very definition, involves the promotion of human welfare and thus must be of benefit to society. In this volume, we hold up these assumptions to scrutiny, drawing together the work of scholars who investigate and question the policies, practices, and philosophies of giving and helping in different eras and locales. By challenging normative beliefs that wealthy individuals and corporations who give their money away or that those with an affective desire to help must be “doing good,” the volume’s contributors open up a new terrain of politics as well as scholarly possibility.