A Moral Basis for Liberty

by Robert Sirico

Book by Sirico, Robert A.

67 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Rev. Robert A. Sirico received his Master of Divinity degree from the Catholic University of America, following undergraduate study at the University of Southern California and the University of London. During his studies and early ministry, he experienced a growing concern over the lack of training religious studies students receive in fundamental economic principles, leaving them poorly equipped to understand and address today's social problems. As a result of these concerns, Fr. Sirico co-founded the Acton Institute with Kris Alan Mauren in 1990.

In April of 1999, Fr. Sirico was awarded an honorary doctorate in Christian Ethics from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, and in May of 2001, Universidad Francisco Marroquin awarded him an honorary doctorate in Social Sciences. He is a member of the prestigious Mont Pèlerin Society, the American Academy of Religion, and the Philadelphia Society, and is on the Board of Advisors of the Civic Institute in Prague. Father Sirico also served on the Michigan Civil Rights Commission from 1994 to 1998. He is also currently serving on the pastoral staff of Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Fr. Sirico's pastoral ministry has included a chaplaincy to AIDS patients at the National Institutes of Health and the recent founding of a new community, St. Philip Neri House in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Reviews

[Davi Lyra Leite · Rating 5 out of 5]

The argument for liberty is one rooted in a moral basis of human dignity and the natural law. In this succinct book, father Sirico reviews the moral basis behind the natural law doctrine, and presents an overview of the morals behind the ideals for economic liberty that are present from the Scholastic philosophers to the great minds of the economic thinking in the 20th century such as Milton Friedman and F. A. Hayek. It is easy-to-follow, as it elucidates some misconceptions about economics and prepares the reader for future readings on the topics it covers.

"A moral argument for economic liberty should not shrink from its own logical implications, however politically unfashionable. An imperative against theft and in favor of the security of private property must also suggest caution about taxes above the minimal necessary for the rule of law. Freedom of contract must include the freedom not to contract. Freedom of association must include the freedom not to associate. Toleration of individual differences must include tolerances for the inequality in wealth that will be the unavoidable result. A morality that favors virtue in the context of liberty must allow room for personal moral failure and an understanding of the difference between vice and crime.
"It is sometimes said that no one dreams of capitalism. This, too, must change. Rightly understood, capitalism is simply the name for the economic component of the natural order of liberty. It means expansive ownership of property, fair and equal rules for all, economic security through prosperity, strict adherence to the boundaries of ownership, opportunity for charity, wise resource use, creativity, growth, development, prosperity, and abundance. Most of all it means the economic application of the principle that every human person has dignity and should have that dignity respected, it is a dream worthy of our spiritual imaginations." (Sirico, Robert)

[Steve Hemmeke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Father Sirico is on the academic side, but makes an important point in this 30-page booklet: democratic capitalism has the moral high ground in the ongoing debate over whether it or some form of totalitarian, planned government is the better system.

The debate certainly isn’t over, and Sirico seems to be responding to the last few decades of the dialogue within the Roman Catholic church. Of particular concern is how the terms of the debate stack the deck in favor of the planned economy, instead of the free one. Shouldn’t we plan to give to the poor, instead of rely on individual choice to do so? Lost in that assumption is the fact that liberty is curtailed too much, when a whole society redistributes personal wealth. Lost is the sad fact that the poor are not helped mainly by cash dumped into their account, but by private and local charity knowing them personally, and custom tailoring help to that, in love.

If you don’t know the Acton Institute, they are a good resource at the intersection of theology and politics.

[Jason Jewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise overview of the moral argument for personal and (especially) economic liberty. The introduction by Edmund Opitz is nearly as long as Fr. Sirico's essay and is a good companion piece.

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A seemingly sincere book blind to to the greed is good philosophy while followed a few years later

[Tanny Simmons · Rating 3 out of 5]

“When freedom is absent from the context of ideals such as morality, nobility, compassion, or heroism, the result is to strip the action of its meritorious component. A morality that is not chosen is no morality at all.”

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A Moral Basis for Liberty" is a short treatise on exactly what the title implies.

The valuable foreward (authored by Reverend Edmund Opitz) is a brief survey of the approach to liberty beginning with the early settlers and later fathers of the United States and moves through a few of the major ideas developed and obstacles overcome by the liberty movement since.

Fr. Sirico's portion of the book includes particular treatments of liberty on the linguistic boarders of the debate, the social context of morality, religion and liberty, and entrepreneurship and the welfare state. All portions add helpful commentary to the discussion, but his explication of the social context of morality is top quality. This portion, taken alone, would merit a five star review and makes for a perfect companion to Bastiat's "The Law."

I feel I'm hitting the book a too hard by only giving the three stars -- especially considering the marvelous portion I've referred to -- but I think that much of the book, though helpful, is not as strong as other treatments of the same subject that I've read. Having said that, this book would be very well used as an introductory text to give to someone either help spark or nourish an initial interest in liberty.

[Paul Womack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a free book and I accepted it as a primer on economic theory. In that respect it did not disappoint. While brief, it gives a point of view that can be challenging to comprehend and can be also be challenged. I marked up my copy, especially with questions the book does not answer, and I assume that the case because the author is intent on making his case.

[Sean McGowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good.