Before Rerum Novarum, V: Corrigan Quotes Leo XIII

We finish off our short series on Archbishop Michael A. Corrigan’s 1886 pastoral letter by quoting Corrigan quoting Leo XIII.  We realize that this could get a little complicated if somebody quotes us, and then somebody quotes somebody quoting us . . .

News from the Network, Vol. 7, No. 13

Plans are being finalized for the annual Rally at the Fed and the CESJ 30^th Anniversary Celebration.  The fact that CESJ has been in existence since 1984, and is strengthening its support base is a victory in itself, to say nothing about the fact that it is becoming increasingly obvious with each passing day that the Just Third Way is the only realistic and practicable plan for what Pope Pius XI called “the restructuring of the social order” to restore what Abraham Lincoln believed to be “the last, best hope of earth.”

Before Rerum Novarum, IV: Corrigan on the Rights of Property

In yesterday’s posting, we quoted from Archbishop Michael A. Corrigan’s 1886 pastoral that, in part, addressed certain issues raised by agrarian socialist Henry George during his bid for mayor of New York City that year.  Corrigan first laid out the basis of the Catholic Church’s position — what we saw yesterday — and then proceeded to explain how these applied to private property . . . which is today’s posting:

Before Rerum Novarum, III: Corrigan Speaks

As promised, today we begin posting the relevant portions of Archbishop Michael Corrigan’s 1886 pastoral letter as published Saturday, November 27, 1886, in the New York Freeman’s Journal and Catholic Register.  One or two spellings and punctuation marks were changed to reflect modern usage.  We do have the whole thing, and are planning on putting it in as an appendix to a book we’re working on now, but most of it doesn’t directly address the question of private property.

Before Rerum Novarum, II: Faith v. Reason

CESJ is not Catholic, but we rely heavily on Catholic social teachings, which (as Pius XII emphasized in the opening paragraphs of his 1950 encyclical, Humani Generis) can be discerned by “human reason by its own natural force and light.”

Before Rerum Novarum, I: The Setting

In 1886 the agrarian socialist Henry George ran for mayor of New York City as the Union Labor Party candidate.  His opponents were the reforming Democratic candidate, Abram Stevens Hewitt, and Theodore Roosevelt on the Republican ticket.  Hewitt won, George came in second, and Roosevelt finished a distant third.

News from the Network, Vol. 7, No. 12

It is interesting to see how the stock market reacts to news.  What news is irrelevant, or whether it’s good or bad.  The fact is that with the speed of trades increased through the use of electronic media, the market can react instantly to anything and everything, and the gamblers and speculators are, of course, experts at making money whichever way it goes.

Economic Emancipation, III: Why NOT Capital Homesteading?

Yesterday we looked at some of the positive baggage loaded on to the term “Capital Homesteading.”  Yes, we know that “baggage” is often used in a pejorative sense, but try and travel anywhere without it for any length of time.

Economic Emancipation, II: The Etymology (Sort of) of Capital Homesteading

In yesterday’s posting we described how we arrived at the term “Economic Emancipation.”  We had been discussing whether the term “Capital Homesteading” was appropriate, and started tossing possible new terms around.  The end result was that we decided to consider adding “Economic Emancipation,” but without subtracting “Capital Homesteading.”

Economic Emancipation, I: What’s the Good Word?

We had an interesting discussion on terminology a week or so ago after a meeting held for another purpose entirely.  Someone suggested that, since we are trying to tailor our message to some degree to “young people” (i.e., anyone younger than the speaker) we might want to consider changing the term “Capital Homesteading” to something to which “young people” can more easily relate.  He thought that “Economic Liberation” might be a good term.

“Too Dumb to Go to College”

We realize that everybody and his brother is posting something about Saint Patrick, the Irish, green beer, and corned beef and cabbage today.  We’ll leave that to the amateurs.  Today we’re going to look at something more truly Irish than having a party once a year to celebrate yet another holiday that would utterly baffle the person it’s named for.

News from the Network, Vol. 7, No. 11

What with the beating the stock market took yesterday, there is still nothing to disabuse us of the notion that we’re seeing a replay of 1929: wild swings in the stock market in the first half of the year, slightly steady increases in the beginning of the third quarter, then skyrocketing increases and a crash in October.

A Matter of Jurisdiction, II: The State and Marriage

Olde Tyme Civil Contract

In yesterday’s posting we learned that you can’t always believe what the media say about what anyone says, especially Pope Francis (a.k.a., the coolest pope ever).  As astounding as this revelation no doubt is to some, it’s really business-as-usual.  The issue was “civil unions” and (surprise, surprise), the pope said that he wasn’t going to say anything until he knew the facts.

A Matter of Jurisdiction, I: What Did He Say NOW?

Pope Francis, formerly known as “the coolest pope ever,” has once again overstepped his bounds and said things that neither “liberals” nor “conservatives” understand.  That man should be ashamed of saying things that people actually have to think about instead of pigeonholing immediately into whatever preconceived prejudice they prefer.

Absolutely Not Absolute, II: What is a “Right”?

In yesterday’s posting we raised the issue of people who don’t know what they’re talking about when they start pontificating about rights.  There is massive confusion over whether rights are, or are not “absolute.”  There is even a bit of confusion over what, exactly, a “right” is.

Absolutely Not Absolute, I: The First Principle of Reason

For some time now we’ve been coming across statements and claims that exhibit an incredible amount of confusion concerning what Wesley Newcomb Hohfeld (1879-1918) called “fundamental legal conceptions” in his posthumous classic work, Fundamental Legal Conceptions as Applied in Judicial Reasoning (1919), a snappy and descriptive title if we ever saw one.

News from the Network, Vol. 7, No. 10

Everyone at CESJ and the Coalition for Capital Homesteading is gearing up for the annual “Rally at the Fed.”  Even so, there are a lot of things happening, with this week being particularly productive.  This may be due in some measure to our current intern, who seems to be something of a mover and shaker at American University.  If you’re in the “market” for an unpaid internship (although you do get free lunches), consider CESJ.  You’ll be able to get in on the ground floor of such initiatives and projects as:

“On Facing Facts”, III: “It’s Not Our Way”

In yesterday’s posting we mentioned an essay by G. K. Chesterton from an obscure collection published in 1934 that started us on the train of thought that led to this brief series.  In the essay, “On Facing Facts,” Chesterton opined that Englishmen of his day tended to live a little too much in the far-distant past, and not enough in the more recent past.

“On Facing Facts”, II: Living in the Past

In the posting of Monday of this week, we mentioned that how we meet our duties to our fellow man is irrelevant as long as the means is ethical and we get the job done.  In yesterday’s posting (Tuesday’s, if you’re keeping track), we noted that there is a slight variation on that which ends up being its exact opposite: the means is irrelevant as long as we get what we want.

“On Facing Facts”, I: What is Truth?

Francis Bacon

Francis Bacon began his essay “On Truth” with, “What is truth? said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer.” An interesting opening, but it assumes that Pilate was joking, when it is evident that he was not. He was simply stating what, for him, was a fact: that truth was of no relevance to what concerned him the most.

A Two-Pronged Strategy, II: The Two Great Commandments

As we saw in the previous posting in this series, the point of Catholic or any other religion’s social teaching is not to take care of people directly, except in extreme cases.  The same goes for what the State is supposed to be doing.