Free is Beautiful by Randy England uses the scriptures, the writings of the saints and the Catechism to show why Catholicism is essentially libertarian. The golden rule teaches that we must not do to another what we would not want done to ourselves. Don’t cheat. Don’t steal. Don’t hit. Don’t harm others. Live and let live. Mind your own business. Libertarians call this the non-aggression principle. Centuries ago, St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine recognized the futility and evil in trying to force people to be virtuous. They taught that government should limit itself to keeping the peace by protecting people’s lives and property. The modern state knows no such limits.It is time to consider libertarianism, the most just system in a fallen world and the only political philosophy that takes human dignity and free will seriously. —— “Here’s a book I wish I’d written! Sometimes, Catholics will ask me, ‘How can you be Catholic if you’re a Libertarian?’ Now that we have Randy England’s delightfully crisp, clear and convincing answer to that question in Free is Beautiful, I’ll be able to refer questioners to this book and then I’ll ask them, ‘How can you not be a Libertarian if you’re Catholic?’”— GERARD N. CASEY, Professor Emeritus, University College Dublin, Associated Scholar, The Mises Institute.
I read this book with an open mind, hoping for some new insights. It starts with the idea that it is wrong to take away other peopleâs freedom. The way itâs described sounds good at first. Then, as the book goes on, we see the author twisting around Scripture passages that teach obedience to government (Romans 13, for example) until they mean nothing, and then he claims that the Bible doesnât actually tell us to obey. Then he cites the Doctors of the Church against obeying a law one decides is…
Randy England has written a very good yet concise description of what true libertarianism is and why it is consistent with Catholic teaching. He explains how the heart of libertarianism is the Non-Aggression Principle (NAP), whereby people should be free from coercion by others, including the state. He distinguishes between libertarianism and libertinism, which is just licentiousness. He has researched his book well and shows how Church teaching, including encyclicals by Leo XIII and more…
As you can tell from the title, this is a very niche book about a specific political philosophy for devout Catholics. The arguments are constructed intelligently and succinctly, and the compatibility between the two is clear. Randy England’s presentation of libertarian principles and arguments is straightforward and accessible, but he certainly takes some of them to their more extreme conclusions. My personal enjoyment of the book is more around a 2* rating since I’m not religious enough nor…