This article is an attempt to structure the discourse on poverty and inequality, as it appears in the works of renowned philosophers, economists and sociologists. Globally, the problem of poverty and inequality remains unsolved and is aggravated by global crises and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic, posing a threat to social stability. The authors point out that, in the short and middle term, solution to this problem under the current paradigm of development seems highly unlikely. The sustainable development paradigm, which has been globally recognized, has numerous strong points; however, it also has a number of internal contradictions, especially regarding the social aspects of development. Therefore, a more socially oriented model of development could help overcome these drawbacks. With this goal in mind, the authors introduce the concept of responsible development, and dwell on the history of thought on the problem of poverty and inequality. This review could serve as a basis for further research of social policy, as well as for development of analytical and policy tools that pay more attention to the moral and ethical dimension of social issues.
