Distributism – A Third Way
About 100 years ago, some of the greatest Catholic minds – G.K.
Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc, and others – were espousing an economic system
known as Distributism. Over the next
couple of weeks, I would like to explore some of the principles of
Distributism, and what practical contributions it may have to make to modern economics.
What is Distributism?
Simply put, it is a system in which there is wide distribution of
productive property. In a Capitalist
society, the means of production, capital, is generally held by a relatively
few number of capitalists, while most people work as laborers for a
paycheck. In a Socialist system, of
course, the means of production are even more concentrated, in the hands of the
government. Capitalist societies are generally
characterized by political freedom, whereas Socialist societies are not.
In a Distributist society, however, the means of production
would be in the hands of many. Most
people would be self-sufficient. It
would be characterized by an overwhelming number of homesteads and small
businesses. Wealth would be measured by
real goods rather than by tokens (paper money).
And the economy would be characterized by “economy” – thrift – not over-consumption
and waste. It is also a society with
political freedom.
With almost all of the modern world vacillating between
socialism and hyper-capitalism, a Distributist society is almost unimaginable,
though it characterized much of the Western world for centuries. But is it even practical today?
Many believe the principles of Distributism still have much
to offer to 21st century economies.
Over the next few days, I would like to consider some of the fundamental
principles (many of which will sound very challenging) and explore Distributism’s
practical relevance.
Note:
I am quite inadequate to do this topic justice. The most I intend to do is pique
interest. For a more thorough and
intelligent treatment of Distributism, I recommend Hilaire Belloc’s The
Servile State, or more recently, Beyond
Capitalism and Socialism, a series of
essays on Distributism compiled by Tobias Lanz.
