公平与效率视域下的近代英国济贫

The Study of Poor Relief in Modern England under the Angle of Equality and Efficiency

英国是世界福利国家的发源地,英国的济贫因所经阶段不同而特征各异。1601年伊丽莎白济贫法及其后的《居住法》更多地考虑社会经济发展和国家秩序稳定,济贫更关注效率而忽视了公平。随着英国社会贫困问题的严重,政府亦通过了体现公平的斯品汉姆兰制度,但此法仍未能兼顾公平与效率。1834年《济贫法修正案》更是展现了济贫中效率与公平的矛盾交织。20世纪初《养老金法案》的通过,才使英国真正考虑到了济贫的公平与效率相平衡的问题,为英国向现代福利国家转变奠定了基础。

England is the origins of welfare state. The evolution of poor relief was through different stages and took on different characteristics. During the Old Poor Law and the Settlement Act, the gov- ernment paid much attention to economic development and social security. So the old poor law could not take much attention to equality. It paid much attention to efficiency. With the deterio- rating of social problems, the Speenhamland System put into forward. The system paid relief ac- cording to the number of family and the price of bread. It showed equality but ignored the effi- ciency in economy. In the contents and action of the Amendment of poor relief in 1834, it also couldn＇t deal with the equality and efficiency. Until the late 19th century, the Old pensions put into act. It was the turning point from traditional poor relief to welfare state. The equality and effi- ciency were taken into good consideration.