2001 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Studies on the influence of economic thought on the poor relief controversy and the formation of welfare state in England
| Project/Area Number |
10630004
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
経済理論
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| Research Institution | Waseda University (2000-2001)
Hitotsubashi University (1998-1999) |
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Principal Investigator |
WATARAI Katsuyoshi Waseda University, School of Political Science and Economics, Professor, 政治経済学部, 教授 (80097196)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1998 – 2001
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| Keywords | Poor Laws / Malthus / Ricardo / Townsend / Paley / Bentham / Copleston / banks for savings |
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| Research Abstract |
Studies of Malthus's thought on the problem of poverty and its relief is the most important theme in this research project. In Milthus's view, the Poor Laws, in effect, augment the poverty for the reduction of which they have been established, because they weaken the preventive check to population growth. Malthus proposed to abolish the Poor Laws and presented the spread of moral restraint among the labouring classes in society as the only efficient way of reducing poverty in the long run. He sought to make a balanced economy composed of agriculture and manufacture which Malthus regarded as the best structure of economy to increase happiness of labouring classes, and advocated protection of agriculture to realize it. He proposed to employ unemployed labourers in public works after he came to have the idea of general glut. We also examined Joseph Townsend's thought on population and poverty, which was very similar to Malthus's view. The second important theme of our research. Ricardo was interested mainly in economic development, but at the same time he made an active contribution to establishment and management of banks for savings for lower classes. We studied also William Paley's defence of the Poor Laws, which had a very great influence on landlords. Then we examined Jeremy Bentham's view of Poor Laws reform. Bentham sought to reform them and establish an efficient system of poor relief. His view on relief of indigence had a great influence on New Poor Laws in 1834 through Edwin Chadwick. Lastly, we studied Edward Copleston's essays on Poor Laws. He emphasized the necessity of Poor Laws as a means of countervailing the influence of diminution of money value.
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