英国工业革命中济贫法改革与古典经济学影响

16世纪以来的济贫法直到工业革命时期都是规范贫困救济的重要法律依据,但旧济贫法主要体现的是传统的经济观念,这与工业革命的经济社会变化越来越不相容。倡导自由放任的古典经济学的兴起为人们创造了一个理解现实的新的理论基础,在新思想体系的影响下,社会对贫困救济的观念不断变化,最终导致济贫法改革和1834年新济贫法的确立。

The Reform of Poor Law and the Influence of the Classical Economics in British Industrial Revolution

The poor laws since 16th century are important legal basis for regulating poor relief until the industrial revolution. However, the old poor law, founded on the traditional economic thought, was unsuitable for the social condition in the 18th century. The rising of the classical economies, which advocates laissez faire, constructed new theoretical basis to understand the social changes in the industrial revolution. As a result of the influence of the classical economics, the social idea about poor relief changed continuously, and eventually resulted in the reform of poor law and the establishment of the new poor law in 1834.