The Hound of Distributism

The Hound of Distributism.  Edited by Richard Aleman, ACS Books, 2012.

FULL DISCLOSURE ALERT: Some of the contributors to The Hound of Distributismare colleagues of mine at the American Chesterton Society. 

Distributism is one of the most misunderstood and controversial forms of economic theory. It has often been dismissed as religious fanaticism applied to the economy, and criticized by capitalists, socialists, and Marxists alike.  Distributism is not capitalism, nor is it socialism, and even less is it Marxism. It is an entirely different form of economics built upon philosophy, namely Catholic social and moral teachings. It is easy to mislabel or misunderstand Distributism or reduce it to nothing more than a variant of any of the aforementioned economic systems.  The numerous articles in the anthology The Hound of Distributismare an excellent means of informing people about the true nature of Distributism and how it ought to be implemented, and a fine way to easily dispel misconceptions about all of these economic philosophies.

Contributors to The Hound of Distributisminclude Dale Ahlquist, Phillip Blond, Peter Chojnowski, David W. Cooney, William Fahey, Donald P. Goodman III, the Hon. Race Mathews, Philippe Maxence, John Médaille, Joseph Pearce, Bill Powell, Russell Sparkes, Thomas Storck, and Mark and Louise Zwick.  A handful of essays by G.K. Chesterton on Distributist theory are also sprinkled throughout the book.  Since Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc are the major twentieth-century innovators of Distributist thought and philosophy, they are frequently referenced and explained throughout this work.

The title of this volume is not a reference to the famous Sherlock Holmes story. As the book’s introduction states:

“Domini canes or “The Hounds of the Lord” is a name given to The Order of Preachers, commonly known as the Dominican Order. According to tradition, while pregnant with the great saint, St. Dominic’s mother had a vision of a black dog with torch in mouth setting fire to the world with the Gospel. In art, St. Dominic is typically depicted with a white or black canine by his side. As the symbol of the historic Guild of St. Joseph and St. Dominic, the Distributist fraternity of craftworkers in Ditchling, England, the hound has also grown to

be with the great saint, St. Dominic’s mother had a vision of a black dog with torch in mouth setting fire to the world with the Gospel. In art, St. Dominic is typically depicted with a white or black canine by his side. As the symbol of the historic Guild of St. Joseph and St. Dominic, the Distributist fraternity of craftworkers in Ditchling, England, the hound has also grown to
be associated with Distributism.”  

In his introductory essay, “What’s Wrong with the World (and How to Fix It),” Dale Ahlquist explains the reason for compiling this book and why it is so vital to implement Distributist philosophy in today’s world, writing that:

“Most normal, carefree people would rather avoid arguing about politics and religion. They fall in love and get married and, in the normal course of events, have children. Then they begin thinking about two things: the world in which they are raising their child, and the soul of their child. In other words, they start thinking about politics and religion. Unfortunately, most people with families don’t have the time and money to become political activists. Most of the people who do have the time and the money to be political activists don’t have families; the laws these people lobby for with great success represent special interest groups, but they do not represent the interests of that general interest group,
the family. As a result, most laws are very much anti-family.”

Distributism, after all, is meant to protect the building block of society, the family.  As many of these commentators observe, in today’s world the average family is plunged into debt by a very young age, and many people never escape from the problems of debt.  The point of Distributism is not to make people rich, but rather to make them free and happy in a way that other systems cannot.

“Towards a Description of Distributism,” by Dr. Wiliam E. Fahey, describes what Distributism really is, and, equally importantly, explains what Distributism isn’tas well.  This article is crafted in the form of a dialogue between a “Lector” and a “Scriptor,” the Lector initially being largely ignorant of what Distributism really is, aside from some very negative misconceptions, which are quickly corrected by the Scriptor. “Towards a Description of Distributism” provides a thorough overview of the definition and development of Distributism over time, as well as the reasons why Distributism ought to be considered the most moral economic system.  Towards the end, Fahey writes the following exchange:

“Lector: So, Distributism is about freedom? 

Scriptor: Some distributists have said that is the central tenet. Chesterton reminds us, however, that “the aim of human polity is human happiness.””

Throughout this volume, the authors attempt to show how Distributism can make someone’s life better, easier, more economical, and more just. One of the most interesting essays describing how to implement Distributist principles into one’s own life is Bill Powell’s “Make Your Backyard a Forest Garden,” a description of how to turn one’s backyard into an abundant and economical food source. Powell’s essay explains the principles of permaculture, a blend of the words “permanent” and “agriculture.” Many farmers today require high overhead costs, all kinds of chemicals, and large quantities of equipment in order to produce substantial amounts of food.  Traditional forms of backyard gardens require large amounts of time and effort.  Constant weeding, watering and fertilizing come with the territory, as do the high start-up costs of seedlings, which often do not generate enough produce to offset the original price of purchase.  A forest garden uses a natural woodland habitat to grow the kinds of plants that can thrive naturally in the wilderness. With only a tenth of an acre, a forest garden can be used to grow all sorts of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and fungi; enough to take care of a major portion of one’s produce bills.

The essays in this anthology deserve further analysis, but to give all of the works the space they deserve would make this review run for dozens of pages. In any event, this book is a superb introduction to Distributism, and a simple and accessible way to help people understand this oft-maligned set of ideas.  This anthology also serves to clearly and effectively present the ideas of Distributists such as G.K. Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc, Dorothy Day, and E.F. Schumacher.  In his essay, “Small is Beautiful Versus Big is Best,” Joseph Pearce explains how Distributism possesses a moral force that all other economic systems lack, writing that:

“Ultimately, conventional economists are making the perennially fatal mistake of ignoring the metaphysical truths that underpin physical facts. They forget that greed is a metaphysical reality and is, therefore, in a physical sense, unlimited. Greed is larger than the world and may, if unchecked, outstrip the world’s ability to meet its demands. As Gandhi said, “Earth provides enough for every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.” Or, as Alexander Solzhenitsyn put it, “Man has set for himself the goal of conquering the world but in the process loses his soul.” And Solzhenitsyn’s words are, of course, a variation on the words of Jesus Christ: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Such is the folly of economic man that he is not even leaving himself a choice. He is set to lose his soul and the world, poisoning the one with greed and the other with the pillage and pollution it causes.”

–Chris Chan