"Catholic Libertarian" Thomas Woods and his Distributist Critics

The Seattle Catholic Exchange

Prompted by an article, "Distributism as Economic Theory," by John Clark (Latin Mass Spring 2002).

• Capitalism and Catholic Economics, by John Sharpe. Seattle Catholic September 6, 2002.
• The Capitalist Response, by John Clark. Seattle Catholic September 26, 2002.
• Three Catholic Cheers for Capitalism, by Thomas E. Woods, Jr. (LewRockwell.com. October 7, 2002).
• What Does It Profit a Man...?, by Br. Alexis Bugnolo. Seattle Catholic October 11, 2002.
• Economics and Profit: A Final Word, by Thomas E. Woods, Jr. Seattle Catholic October 17, 2002.
• Liberal Economics vs. Catholic Truth, by John Sharpe. Seattle Catholic November 3, 2002.

The Woods-Storck Debate

• Catholic Social Teaching and Economic Law: An Unresolved Tension, by Thomas E. Woods, Jr. (LewRockwell.com March 22, 2002). Delivered a the 8th Austrian Scholars Conference at the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Auburn, Ala. From the author:
  

  What follows is a discussion of Catholic social thought and the question of the just wage. I have nothing but the most profound respect for the nineteenth- and twentieth-century popes, who led the Church with courage and principle. As for the concept of the just wage, however, the time has come to acknowledge, with the late Scholastics, that the just wage is the market wage. As Fr. James Sadowsky of Fordham University has argued, if a business can "afford" to pay a just wage, market competition for labor will yield one. If it cannot, then it won't. In advocating socially desirable outcomes, it is essential to study how best they can be brought about.

• Morality and Economic Law: Toward a Reconciliation, by Thomas E. Woods, Jr. (LewRockwell.com March 20, 2004) The Lou Church Memorial Lecture in Religion and Economics, Austrian Scholars Conference, Ludwig von Mises Institute, Auburn, Alabama, March 20, 2004. | Audio
• Economic Science and Catholic Social Teaching, by Thomas Storck. (Chronicles Magazine June 17, 2004)
• On the Actual Progress of Peoples, by Thomas E. Woods, Jr. (LewRockwell.com June 22, 2004)
• The Difficulties of Thomas Woods, by Thomas Storck. (Chronicles Magazine July 11, 2004)
• Catholics and Capitalism, by Thomas E. Woods, Jr. (LewRockwell.com November 12, 2004)
• Catholic Social Teaching and the Market Economy Revisited: A Reply to Thomas Storck, by Thomas E. Woods, Jr. (LewRockwell.com January 12, 20010). This paper appears in the current issue of the Catholic Social Science Review (vol. 14, 2009), under the heading “Symposium: The Implications of Catholic Social Teaching for Economic Science: An Exchange between Thomas Storck and Thomas E. Woods, Jr., with Responses.” [1] The Thomas Storck paper to which this one is a reply may be found here | Based on a panel discussion 03-14-09 at the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama (Audio). Responses to the exchange:
  
  • A Response from John Médaille (full text)
  • A Response from Charles Clark (full text)
  • A Response from Kevin Schmiesing (full text)
  • A Response from Emil Berendt (full text)
• Is Thomas Woods A Dissenter? A Further Reply, Pt. 1 (01-18-10) | Part 2 (01-20-10) | Part 3 (01-22-10) | Part 4 (01-25-10). By Thomas Storck. (Chronicles Magazine)
• Is Thomas Woods a Dissenter? (Response from Thomas Woods) ThomasEWoods.com. Friday February 5, 2010.

On Thomas Woods' The Church and the Market: A Catholic Defense of the Free Economy

• Capitalism and Catholicism, by Thomas E. Woods, Jr. (LewRockwell.com February 14, 2005)
• Economics As Science: A Catholic Defense of the Free Market, by Thomas E. Woods, Jr. (InsideCatholic.com April 29, 2008). Based on remarks delivered during the author's December lecture tour of Poland.

On the Woods-Ferrara Debate

• Ludwig von Mises versus Christ, the Gospel and the Church (An Open Letter to Tom Woods). February 15, 2010.
• On Chris Ferrara
• Ground Control to Major Tom Remnant Press Release. July 17, 2010.
• Michael Matt's interview with Christopher Ferrara (Part I) | Part II The Remnant August 30 / September 2, 2010.
• Two Catholic authors at odds over economics, while another grieves loss in sense of sin, by Matt C. Abbott. Renew America February 16, 2010.
• John Médaille's forward to The Church and the Libertarian. The Distributist Review July 6, 2010.
• A Resolved Tension, by Jeremiah Bannister. The Distributist Review August 3, 2010. "The question, then, becomes whether the position held by Woods and those like him hold up in light of what the Church has said regarding her own competency in these matters. In brief, do Catholic libertarians of this kind speak of the Church as the Church speaks of herself?"
• Exposing Catholic Austro-Libertarian Dissent Jeremiah Bannister’s second half to “A Resolved Tension” in audio format. The Distributist Review August 24, 2010.
• An Interview with Christopher Ferrara Distributist Review August 2010. Jeremiah Bannister interviews author and attorney Christopher A. Ferrara about his new book The Church and the Libertarian. They discuss the Austro-libertarian movement, Catholic Social Teaching, and Distributism.