Forbes India picks business leaders who bring in the same level of passion and energy to philanthropy that they put in running their organizations
Historians believe that the word philanthropy comes from ancient Greece where it was first used in a mythological tale that tells the story of how Zeus, the king of the gods, tried to destroy primitive creatures (that looked like humans). They were saved by Prometheus, a Titan, who out of his “philanthropos tropos” or ‘humanity loving character’ gave them two gifts: Fire, symbolising all knowledge and skills and “blind hope” or optimism. The Greek word philanthropia was translated into Latin as ‘humanitas’ (humaneness). In modern times, philosophers defined it as “the private giving of time or valuables…for public purposes”.
(This story appears in the 07 December, 2012 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)