Introduction 1. Classical Athens: Plato and Aristotle The Athenian society Plato''s communitarianism: the state is sovereign Aristotle''s equity and the middle way Origins of society Classes in society Slavery The position of women Private property The abolition of the family Poverty policies Education Conclusion 2. The Graeco-Roman world: Epicurus, Zeno, Cicero, Seneca and Aurelius Epicurus (341-271 BC) Stoicism: Zeno (336-263 BC), Cicero (160-43 BC), Seneca (4 BC-5 AD) and Aurelius (121-80 AD) Society and government The virtuous Stoic individual Nature and civil law Slavery The position of women Wealth and poverty Education Old age Conclusion 3. Early Christianity: St Augustine, St Francis and St Thomas Aquinas The New Testament and human welfare The Christian value system Slavery The position of women Marriage and divorce Wealth and poverty St Augustine (354-430) St Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) Religious sects The Franciscan friars Four profiles of poverty St Thomas Aquinas (1225-74) Government and welfare Private versus public property Poverty and a taxonomy of needs Slavery The position of women Conclusion 4. The Renaissance: Desiderius Erasmus and Thomas More; The Reformation: Martin Luther and Jean Calvin Desiderius Erasmus (1467-1536) Thomas More (1478-1535) A critique of 16th-century capitalist society The capitalist state Crime in 16th-century England Poverty in 16th-century England Private property Life in Utopia Work Leisure A socialist welfare state Representative government Marriage, family and divorce An assessment of Utopia Martin Luther (1483-1545) Luther''s religious values: faith and obedience Poverty relief Education Women, marriage and divorce Economic issues Jean Calvin (1509-64) Calvinism and capitalism Conclusion 5. Absolutism: Thomas Hobbes; Liberalism: John Locke Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) Human nature and absolutism Crime and punishment Wealth and poverty Women in society Conclusion John Locke (1632-1704) Human nature and government by consent Private property Work Poverty: causes and remedies Slavery The position of women Education and childhood Conclusion 6. Early feminism: Mary Astell, Sophia and Mary Wollstonecraft Mary Astell (1668-1731) Sophia, an anonymous author Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-97) Private property and society Wealth and poverty Women''s emancipation Marriage and family Parent-child relationships Education, women''s emancipation and social progress Conclusion 7. A welfare society: Jean-Jacques Rousseau Human nature Equality and liberty From compassion to vanity Private property and poverty Taxation and government overload The role of women in society Education Ideal education methods National education system Rousseau''s ideal society The goodness of human nature The general will Direct citizen participation The small nation state Theory and practice Conclusion 8.

The market, laissez-faire and welfare: Adam Smith Human nature The division of labour Laissez-faire and the invisible hand of the market Wealth and wages Poverty Slavery The family The role of government Defence Justice Public works and public institutions Principles of public administration Taxation The chequered career of laissez-faire Conclusion 9. Democracy and welfare: Thomas Paine Human Nature Society and Government Hereditary monarchy versus elective democracy Slavery Trade, private property and the common good The structure and culture of poverty A universal welfare state Religion and welfare Conclusion 10. Classical Marxism and welfare: Karl Marx and Frederick Engels Human nature and human needs The materialist conception of history The critique of capitalism Alienation Poverty and the immiseration of the working class Globalisation Reform or revolution The position of women in society A communist welfare state Communist society Government expenditure Education Housing Crime Conclusion 11. Positive freedom and state welfare: T. H. Green Positive freedom The common good The interventionist state Policies at work Education Wealth and poverty Drunkenness Gender equality Liberal socialism Democratic socialism Conclusion Bibliography Index.