About poverty and the poor

In Rambler's private library you can also find Fryderyk Skarbek's On Poverty and the Poor , first published in 1827 by Gałęzowski's Warsaw printing house. The work is forgotten today, which is a pity.

Fryderyk Florian Skarbek (1792-1866) was an exceptional figure. Thanks to his education, he was able to create the foundations of modern Polish economics. His work On Poverty and the Poor (1827) is one of the most important studies on the issue of poverty in Poland and is still considered groundbreaking in economic literature.

A study of poverty

Skarbek was born in Toruń into a noble family. As a young man he went to Paris, where he studied economics and law. There he came into contact with the thought of classical economists, such as Jean-Baptiste Say, who had a particular influence on him.

The work On Poverty and the Poor is a kind of social manifesto in which Skarbek attempted to diagnose the problem of poverty and indicate its causes. The author, contrary to the conventions of the time, did not blame only individuals, but noticed the systemic conditions of poverty, which was an innovative approach for his times.

In his analysis, Skarbek distinguished three key causes of poverty. He criticized the unfair distribution of wealth, pointing out that the concentration of wealth in the hands of the elite leads to the marginalization of the rest of society. In his opinion, this was not only the result of laziness, but a problem rooted in the social structure. He also believed that low levels of education and lack of professional training are the basic barriers limiting the possibilities of escaping poverty. He pointed to education as the most effective tool for combating inequality.

Skarbek also noted that the lack of institutions helping the unemployed deepens the problem of poverty. He postulated the need to introduce reforms that would enable effective combating of unemployment at the structural level.

The proposed reforms

He did not limit himself to diagnosing problems, but proposed a series of solutions that were ahead of his time. His proposals, as for the beginning of the 19th century, were revolutionary.

Skarbek, for example, advocated the creation of vocational schools that would prepare people for specific professions and thus increase their chances of finding a job. He also suggested introducing a more equitable tax system that would reduce the burden on the poorest, which would lead to a more even distribution of income. He pointed to the need to establish forced labor houses that could offer employment to people without means of subsistence. This was a pioneering step towards creating a social welfare system.

Skarbek's book was warmly received in Poland and abroad. In Poland, Henryk Rzewuski, among others, expressed his appreciation for his innovative approach. Fryderyk Skarbek's influence was not limited to his time, however. His analysis of the problem of poverty was an inspiration for Bolesław Prus and Stefan Żeromski, who also touched upon the subject of social inequality. His ideas on vocational education, tax reforms and institutional support were ahead of their time and were implemented many years later, in the 20th century.

The book itself is not a rarity. A large part of the 1827 edition survived World War II and was sold by the National Library until the early 1950s (sic).

Our copy was bound by Magdalena Bulanda .