The Root of the Word “Philanthropy”
Philanthropy by definition is the act, the effort, or the inclination to improve the well being of humankind through donations and charitable aids. According to those who study etymology, a branch of linguistics that deals with the origins of words, philanthropy comes from two Greek words, philos and anthropos.The word philos, in general knowledge, means love, desire, or a strong affinity for something. Using the word philosophy as an example, the word stems out from the Greek words philos and sophia. Sophia means knowledge. Philosophy therefore means the “love for knowledge”. The Greek word anthropos, on the other hand, means man. In the strict sense of defining using the grounds of etymology, philanthropy would mean the “love for man.”In modern culture, the conventional definition of philanthropy is very much accurate, given that philanthropic organizations and institutions make efforts to better the lives of not just one man, but the whole of society. Though these charitable and humanitarian efforts vary, ranging from education, finance, public utilities, international relations, scientific breakthroughs, environment and medical science, the ancient, quintessential meaning of the word remains the same.An example of a philanthropy is Ted Waitt and the Waitt Institute. Ted Waitt’s philanthropic organization specializes in building communities and breaking the cycle of domestic violence. In 2005, Tedd Waitt’s organization enabled the foundation to fund explorations in the name of history and scientific research.












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