Distributist Perspectives: Volume I

by J. Forrest Sharpe (Editor), D. Liam O'Huallachain (Editor), Lawrence Smith (Foreword)

The writings collected here are from a school of English thinkers in the 1930s and 1940s who were concerned about the desperate state of modern society. The writers include G. K. Chesterton, H. J. Massingham, Eric Gill, Hilaire Belloc, Herbert Shove, and Arthur Penty. They study various parts of the problem of capitalist society; the origins, benefits, and demerits of industrialism; the importance of art to society and its sufferance under capitalism; the size of commercial organization and its relevance to efficiency; the nature and purpose of work as a concept; and the crucial nature of understanding the present through real knowledge of the past.

Genres: Economics, Catholic, Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2004

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

For everyone interested in forming their ideas about economics, and not just parroting the vapid exchanges of the political media of today. Exposes the evils and flaws of both Capitalism and Socialism, and points toward a third way that is based on the social teachings of the Church, and on a just and human philosophy.

[Austin Storm · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could recommend this book. I like distributism, but the collection of essays is too mixed and could have used more helpful historical context. A different selection of essays aimed at an introduction to distributism, and a "Norton Critical Edition" approach of providing more footnotes would be better.

[graceofgod · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a bizarre book filled with short essays written by a bunch of reactionaries. With a really weird and out of place anti-modernist architecture section at the end...

What the heck?