Your Email:

Subject:

Message:
Entry: The Pragmatism of Russell Kirk Link: http://www.takimag.com/site/article/the_pragmatism_of_russell_kirk#3599 Post contents: Sid, I don't know what in particular (if anything) Kirk had in mind on the question of Catholic social teaching, but I know from my own conversations with him that he was conversant in the subject, had no disagreement with the Church at all, and I too find his writings on economic question (including his textbook on economics as well as various columns and speeches) to be completely consonant with Catholic social teaching. Kirk despised the term "capitalism," which he derided as a Marxist term, and his criticisms of libertarians included their trumpeting of the "creative destruction" wrought by capitalism. He admired E.F. Schumacher, but his greatest influence in this area was Roepke, whose own work was completely consonant with Catholic social teaching. Sent at: 2008 09 06