Society aids the poor to neutralize a threat, not to help them

Evidence

This assistance then takes place voluntarily or is imposed by law, so that the poor will not become active and dangerous enemies of society, so as to make their reduced energies more productive, and so as to prevent the degeneration of their progeny. The poor man as a person, and the perception of his position in his own mind, are in this case as indifferent as they are to the giver who gives alms for the salvation of his own soul. In this case, the subjective egoism of the latter is overcome not for the sake of the poor, but for the sake of society. — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 410

Categorization

• XREF: Directly parallels the reader’s essay chain: the blasé attitude neutralizes the urban other as a threat rather than engaging them — social assistance is the collective version of that cognitive neutralization. — connects to: States can owe obligations to the poor without granting them corresponding rights — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 414; The poor form a social stratum united by society’s attitude, not by interaction — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 446; Poverty is defined by social reaction, not by material deficiency — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 444 (+7 more)

Related

• Poverty is defined by social reaction, not by material deficiency (similarity 0.86)
• Poverty, like crime, is defined by social reaction rather than inherent state (similarity 0.84)
• Sociological poverty is defined by receiving assistance, not lacking means (similarity 0.83)
• Welfare can target the fact of poverty or its individual causes (similarity 0.83)
• States can owe obligations to the poor without granting them corresponding rights (similarity 0.81)
• The poor form a social stratum united by society’s attitude, not by interaction (similarity 0.79)
• Rising prosperity and social conscience drive the poor to hide and isolate (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Poverty, like crime, is defined by social reaction rather than inherent state #corroborates (0.55) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 445
• Poverty is defined by social reaction, not by material deficiency #corroborates (0.50) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 444
• Welfare can target the fact of poverty or its individual causes #expands (0.45) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 434
• The poor form a social stratum united by society’s attitude, not by interaction #expands (0.40) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 446
• Rising prosperity and social conscience drive the poor to hide and isolate #complicates (0.40) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 447
• Protecting national lives in war increases those lives’ social precariousness #complicates (0.35)