Books in the The Works of William H. Beveridge series

This supplementary volume to Beveridge¿s important work Voluntary Action sets out some of the important material on which the Report is based, and amplifies it by giving views and statements of fact submitted by many experts in the fields covered by his Inquiry.

The editors have chosen substantial extracts to illustrate the major themes and ideas in Beveridge¿s writing over a period of more than four decades, ranging from his book Unemployment, published in 1909, to the Beveridge Report of 1942 and beyond. Sections cover his social philosophy; the crucial role he attributed to social insurance as a technique of welfare; his relation to economics; and the stress he placed on voluntary action in a free society. Each theme is introduced by a full editorial commentary which explains its place in Beveridge¿s thought, as well as outlining his position and offering critical guidance to the reader.

This supplementary volume to Beveridge¿s important work Voluntary Action sets out some of the important material on which the Report is based, and amplifies it by giving views and statements of fact submitted by many experts in the fields covered by his Inquiry.

The editors have chosen substantial extracts to illustrate the major themes and ideas in Beveridge¿s writing over a period of more than four decades, ranging from his book Unemployment, published in 1909, to the Beveridge Report of 1942 and beyond. Sections cover his social philosophy; the crucial role he attributed to social insurance as a technique of welfare; his relation to economics; and the stress he placed on voluntary action in a free society. Each theme is introduced by a full editorial commentary which explains its place in Beveridge¿s thought, as well as outlining his position and offering critical guidance to the reader.