Western welfare state literature usually reflects the following three perspectives: (1) social policies as welfare state, (2) ideological justifications of welfare state, and (3) the society-centered perspective. Confusion is therefore likely to be aroused as to the ideology complexities versus superficial knowledge of the welfare state with regard to whether it is a set of procedures, methods and/or programs etc. These often prevent us from appreciating the crux of the welfare state. Based on the notions that 'The welfare state is the nation state', this paper intends to firstly review W. Beveridge, J. M. Keynes, T.H. Marshall's discourses on the welfare sate, then argues that the welfare state actually is committed to enhance citizens' wealth, vitality and solidarity. This point essentially carries on the principle of the statecraft implicitly enshrined in the classical political economy, especially in A. Smith's masterwork of Wealth of Nations, which aimed at bringing about the prosperity and strength of the nation.