Final answer:
Attitudes towards the poor during 1558-88 can be inferred from nineteenth-century perspectives, with self-help and external aid as key themes. Samuel Smiles advocated for self-improvement, while Reverend Jay recognized the limitations of personal efforts in the face of systemic issues. Today's multifaceted approach to helping the poor reflects both historical attitudes and contemporary insights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question reflects on the change in attitudes towards the poor between 1558-88, a period that does not directly align with the nineteenth-century context given in the reference information. However, by examining the available excerpts and discussing the attitudes toward the poor in the nineteenth century, we can infer that there was an evolution in how society viewed poverty and the poor. The two nineteenth-century figures, Samuel Smiles and Reverend Osborne Jay, represented differing perspectives on how the poor could be helped: self-improvement versus external assistance. This parallels the dual views in the 1558-88 period where the poor were seen both as needing discipline and as a part of the labor force that required support.
Self-help versus external aid has remained a theme in societal attitudes toward poverty. In the nineteenth century, just as in earlier centuries, there was debate whether poverty was due to a lack of discipline or if it was a systemic issue that could not be overcome by individual efforts alone. Samuel Smiles's emphasis on self-improvement aligns with the earlier belief that the poor could uplift themselves with the right character and discipline. Yet, Reverend Jay's work revealed that, despite personal efforts, environmental factors often made self-improvement alone insufficient.
Today, we recognize a more complex view of the causes of poverty, including economic systems, educational disparities, and health issues. The approach to helping the poor combines government assistance, charity, and policies aimed at reducing systemic barriers, reflecting both nineteenth-century attitudes and a more modern understanding of poverty's complexities.