Distributism in Modern Economics
The past week, on this blog, I have explored the economic philosophy
known as Distributism, specifically through the principles of Father Vincent
McNabb.
There are many economic perils in our world: poverty,
injustice, lack of economic freedom, the impersonal and sterile nature some
work can take on. And, of course, there
are many approaches at solving them. We
tend to fall into two camps: small government, free market enthusiasts; or big
government, high regulation enthusiasts.
The Distributist speaks a very different language than these
two groups, but he can often be easily dismissed by both. He can be seen as overly romantic, nostalgic
for a bygone era, and utterly impractical.
However, there is still much that Distributism can add to our modern
economic conversation.
At this point I must remind people that I am far from an
expert in this subject. In fact, this
post can be taken as nothing more than my thinking out loud. Anyone whose interest is piqued would do well
to seek out more learned sources.
However, it seems to me that the essence of Distributism is
ownership. It is based on recognizing
the value of the widespread ownership of productive property.
We often lament the widespread economic dependence of modern
man. Applying Distributist principles to
modern economics would mean creating an environment friendly to small
businesses and supportive of small farmers.
Mass production is often seen as necessary to sustain the world’s population,
but often it only sustains a wasteful, consumer mentality.
As Catholics we are called to shun avarice. Thrift is a virtue, though society scorns
it. Perhaps the widespread economic
downturn of recent years will inspire people to examine our spending and
consumption habits.
We must take a spiritual approach to our work. Certainly that can be done with any work, but
work in which we produce something of real value, and in which we are
personally invested in the big picture, is often the most satisfying. For example, a craftsman is more invested in
his work (emotionally and spiritually) than a worker on an assembly line
There are also interesting business models in which workers
in a company also have an ownership stake.
Creative business people have realized that when a worker has “skin in
the game,” it is easier to get an honest day’s work out of him.
All of these things would be celebrated by
Distributists. If some of these
principles take hold in our collective values – ownership, thrift, the
spiritual value of work, self-sufficiency – perhaps they can begin to shape
government policy, personal habits, and even our spirituality.
