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Pope Francis and Distributism

In an article at The American Conservative, Arthur W. Hunt III argues that the economic ideas touched on by Pope Francis point in the direction of distributism, a third way between industrial…
Mark T. Mitchell
Mark T. Mitchell
April 3, 2014

In an article at The American Conservative, Arthur W. Hunt III argues that the economic ideas touched on by Pope Francis point in the direction of distributism, a third way between industrial capitalism and socialism. The Palins and the Limbaughs of the world may not get this, but it is high time to consider the essential connection between the broad ownership of property and political liberty. Hunt’s article provides a useful brief introduction to the history of distributism.

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A stack of three Local Culture journals and the book 'Localism in the Mass Age'
Mark T. Mitchell

Mark T. Mitchell

Mark T. Mitchell is the co-founder of Front Porch Republic. He is the Dean of Academic Affairs at Patrick Henry College and the author of several books including Plutocratic Socialism, Power and Purity, The Limits of Liberalism, The Politics of Gratitude, and Localism in Mass Age: A Front Porch Republic Manifesto (co-editor).

6 comments

  • Dan Young
    11 years ago

    For those who are newcomers to distributism, what would be a basic reading list or a good introductory book?

    • Mark T. Mitchell
      11 years ago

      Dan,
      Good question. Belloc’s book, The Restoration of Property and Chesterton’s An Outline of Sanity are good places to start. Wilhelm Ropke is clearly sympathetic to many distributist ideas in his A Humane Economy. A more recent treatment is by John Medaille titled Toward a Truly Free Market. These will get you started.

  • Mark
    11 years ago

    Mark,

    Listening to some of your on-line lectures and reading your book on Gratitude, you mention Wilhelm Ropke. Was he a Distributist or sorts? I subscribe to TAC but have not read the Hunt article yet.

    • Mark T. Mitchell
      11 years ago

      Mark,
      As far as I know, Ropke didn’t claim to be a distributist; however, he does on occasion refer favorably to Belloc and Chesterton and their distributist writings.

      Mark

  • Rob G
    11 years ago

    There’s also this new piece at The Week. Not as good as Hunt’s, but still getting distributist ideas out there.

    http://theweek.com/article/index/259154/the-conservative-case-against-capitalism

  • John Gorentz
    11 years ago

    Why would anyone want a third way between industrial capitalism and socialism, when you consider that socialism is just an extreme form of capitalism? Double-plus capitalism, if you will.

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