This research is an interpretation of social welfare from the perspectives of four influential authors (Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham, Karl Marx, and Amartya Sen). The study presents the four authors’ perspectives by using comparative qualitative data and identifying each author’s context, their concept of social welfare, the role of government in it, and the limitations of their definitions. Although there is no agreement on the authors’ arguments, it can be concluded that they all contribute to the development of the concept of social welfare.No aplica