Philanthropy has become a major ethical-institutional practice in our societies. But good deeds can have effects that undermine the fibers of democracy. In his masterful and well-balanced treatise, Theodore Lechterman alerts us to the power dynamics unleashed by transforming private wealth into public service and influence. This is a timely and eye-opening book, both philosophically nuanced and politically astute.
Theodore M. Lechterman is a political philosopher who studies how democratic principles apply to emerging practices. Currently a Research Fellow at the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford, he has held previous fellowships at Stanford University, Centre for Advanced Studies Justitia Amplificata (Frankfurt), and the Hertie School (Berlin). He regularly advises organizations and contributes to public debates in North America and Europe.