Vic George is Emeritus Professor in Social Policy and Social Work at the University of Kent, Canterbury. He has previously worked at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Nottingham. He has authored and edited 18 books written around the themes of inequality and poverty, several of which have been translated into other languages. He lives in Canterbury.

"Professor George has made a major contribution to the welfare literature. I urge him to continue his important work!" International Journal of Social Welfare

• Introduction; Classical Athens: Plato and Aristotle; The Graeco-Roman world: Epicurus, Zeno, Cicero, Seneca and Aurelius; Early Christianity: St Augustine, St Francis of Assisi and St Aquinas; The Renaissance: Desidarius Erasmus and Thomas More; The Reformation: Martin Luther and Jean Calvin; Absolutism: Thomas Hobbes; Liberalism: John Locke; Early feminism: Mary Astell, Sophia, and Mary Wollstonecraft; A welfare society: Jean-Jacques Rousseau; The market, laissez-faire and welfare: Adam Smith; Democracy and welfare: Thomas Paine; Classical Marxism and welfare: Karl Marx and Frederick Engels; Positive freedom and state welfare: T.H. Green.

Vic George is Emeritus Professor in Social Policy and Social Work at the University of Kent, Canterbury. He has previously worked at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Nottingham. He has authored and edited 18 books written around the themes of inequality and poverty, several of which have been translated into other languages. He lives in Canterbury.

"Professor George has made a major contribution to the welfare literature. I urge him to continue his important work!" International Journal of Social Welfare

• Introduction; Classical Athens: Plato and Aristotle; The Graeco-Roman world: Epicurus, Zeno, Cicero, Seneca and Aurelius; Early Christianity: St Augustine, St Francis of Assisi and St Aquinas; The Renaissance: Desidarius Erasmus and Thomas More; The Reformation: Martin Luther and Jean Calvin; Absolutism: Thomas Hobbes; Liberalism: John Locke; Early feminism: Mary Astell, Sophia, and Mary Wollstonecraft; A welfare society: Jean-Jacques Rousseau; The market, laissez-faire and welfare: Adam Smith; Democracy and welfare: Thomas Paine; Classical Marxism and welfare: Karl Marx and Frederick Engels; Positive freedom and state welfare: T.H. Green.

Vic George is Emeritus Professor in Social Policy and Social Work at the University of Kent, Canterbury. He has previously worked at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Nottingham. He has authored and edited 18 books written around the themes of inequality and poverty, several of which have been translated into other languages. He lives in Canterbury.

"Professor George has made a major contribution to the welfare literature. I urge him to continue his important work!" International Journal of Social Welfare

• Introduction; Classical Athens: Plato and Aristotle; The Graeco-Roman world: Epicurus, Zeno, Cicero, Seneca and Aurelius; Early Christianity: St Augustine, St Francis of Assisi and St Aquinas; The Renaissance: Desidarius Erasmus and Thomas More; The Reformation: Martin Luther and Jean Calvin; Absolutism: Thomas Hobbes; Liberalism: John Locke; Early feminism: Mary Astell, Sophia, and Mary Wollstonecraft; A welfare society: Jean-Jacques Rousseau; The market, laissez-faire and welfare: Adam Smith; Democracy and welfare: Thomas Paine; Classical Marxism and welfare: Karl Marx and Frederick Engels; Positive freedom and state welfare: T.H. Green.