本文主旨是從西方社會福利思想的四個重要傳承，來探討不同 國家福利政策體制的制度規則和集體行動邏輯的歷史構成。鑲嵌在 近代啓蒙運動以來「德性的衰退」與當代「德性再發現」的歷史腺 絡間，權利、效用、共善和團結這四個重要傳統，有助於闡明英美 與歐陸社會福利體系的分殊發展、困境與可能出路。我們以新貧窮 現象暨社會救助政策爲例，説明個別體制歷史展現的理念及其所促 能與偈限，來檢視個別政策體制的當代回應、可能的出路與結果代 價。

One of the consequences brought about by capitalist globalization puts much pressure and limitation upon realization of welfare state s basic social functions and implementation of government ’ s regulatory capacity. Labor market without regulatory force has suffered from the growth of long-termed unemployment, un-sustainability of working-poor living and destruction of regular jobs by underground market. “New poverty” is thus the logic product of capitalist growth without jobs. Results deriving from decoupling of capitalist market with the welfare state are increase in the number of poor and in the degree of income inequality, on the one hand, decrease in social security financing and shifting to rely upon targeting policy as well as workfare in terms of obligation of the citizen, on the other. Currents of Western thoughts in social welfare are explored here in order to analyze institutional rules of divergent welfare regimes and historical formation of their logic of collective action. Four traditions, i.e. rights, utility, common good and solidarity, which can be contextualized historically within the period from the “decline of virtue” since the Enlightenment to the “rediscovery of virtue” in recent decades, are provided to illuminate different troubles that have been suffered and alternatives that may exist for both English-speaking and continental welfare regimes. What alternatives they are enabling or opportunities constrained by welfare idea embodied in respective tradition will be scrutinized with the main concern about new poverty and social assistance policy.