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Philanthropy and Improvement: Voluntary Societies and Civil Society in Eighteenth-Century Ireland

Thu, June 30, 3:30 to 5:00pm, Campus Ersta, Sal 4

Abstract

In January of 1715 the Archbishop of Dublin, William King wrote to a colleague expressing his concern that since the Reformation had led to the sale of “all houses for the care of the poor” thousands in the city were now exposed annually to the threat of starvation. King was in his politics and theology no friend to the Catholic Church, but he acknowledged that in many ways the loss of these traditional modes of relief posed a problem. He estimated that at the time approximately 1/3 of the population of Dublin was in need. Archbishop King was not alone amongst Irish Protestants in recognizing that the country faced a potentially serious threat from the growing problem of poverty. King’s concern encapsulates rather nicely some questions which this paper seeks to address. How were social problems such as poverty addressed in the Post-Reformation era? What sorts of institutions and individuals step in to fill the void left by the collapse of more traditional modes of poor relief?
The philanthropic impulse to engage in charitable work and to encourage economic "improvement" was sharpened in eighteenth century Ireland as Irish Protestants became increasingly aware of the threat that social problems, such as poverty, disease, and criminality, posed to their rule. One response to this threat was the establishment of a number of voluntary societies which sought to address the problems plaguing Ireland. This paper examines the origins and impulses which led to the founding of voluntary charitable societies that were designed to address these issues. The corporatization and institutionalization of philanthropy that occurred in this period resulted in many profound changes in the way charity work was carried out. This paper demonstrates how these eighteenth-century movements differed from earlier efforts in organization, methods and, aims. It illustrates the connection between religiously motivated charities, Enlightenment inspired scientific societies, the Irish government, and the role they played in the development of civil society. The eighteenth-century Irish state took an unusually active stance in supporting and funding charities and reform organizations that were designed to improve the nation and its people. The eighteenth-century culture of improvement was to an extraordinary extent made possible by government funding. This paper argues that improvement was a concern of the state as well as private individuals and voluntary societies. It claims that, together, these movements aspired to purge Ireland of what they saw as destabilizing factors that weakened the nation. Philanthropists and Improvers reflected Enlightenment era optimism about the perfectibility of society and saw themselves as serving both the welfare of society and interests and aspirations of the nation.

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