Utopia of Usurers is a classic collection of political essays which comment upon the conditions of Great Britain by G.K. Chesterton. What is it that angers Chesterton and fills him with grim forebodings for the future of his island? Many things and, especially, many persons. But chiefly the capitalists, the upper middle class, the usurers, or however they be termed, and the fear of the servile state, the state in which art and literature and science and efficiency and morality and everything else that has value in the eyes of mortal man become the humble servants of the money-changers, in short, the "utopia of usurers." --The Dial, 1918.
Utopia of Usurers is divided into two major parts. The second part is an assemblage of the author's journalistic articles. In the first part, G.K. Chesterton takes to task the theories, claims, and pragmatic fallout of unrestrained capitalism. Readers will come to understand the meaning behind Chesterton's classic paradoxical maxim: "Too much capitalism does not mean too many capitalists, but too few capitalists." In the wake of the bank, housing, and student loan crises, either our times are ripe for Utopia of Userers, or Utopia of Userers is ripe for our times.This volume is part of a series of WISEBLOOD CLASSICS of PHILOSOPHY, a run of books that includes out-of-print or hard to find classic novels and criticism. Other releases include the works of Marx and Bastiat. In addition, through our Wiseblood Classics series, we have reintroduced works of Balzac and Gogol, Dostoevsky and Melville to a new generation of readers. To learn more about Wiseblood Books, visit www.wisebloodbooks.com
"Every page of the book is interesting....An attack on modern society, with special reference to Great Britain. Mr. Chesterton 'is up in arms against the terror of a world which shall be ruled - in politics and literature and art and all things else - by its 'captains of industry.'" -The New York Times "He is particularly concerned about 'the way in which the capitalists of today use art and the press for their own purposes. His spleen, it seems, is largely directed against the liberal press." -Springfield Republican "The work is an impassioned plea...for the natural rights of men and the restoration of their earlier liberties....There is no lack of wisdom, based upon enduring truths and expressed with the clearness of a tocsin." -Catholic World "We are all familiar with the Utopias of idealists who picture a world that has banished poverty and crime. But G. K. Chesterton, the English writer, in a book entitled 'Utopia of Usurers,' that has just been published on this side of the water, writes of a new kind of Utopia - the kind that hard-headed business men and Capitalists are going to establish for themselves if they ever get a chance. That they will get a chance and that they may accomplish their aims is Chesterton's haunting fear. 'We must hit Capitalism and hit it hard,' he says, 'for the plain and definite reason that it is growing stronger.' As his contribution to an assault that he hopes will become general, Chesterton writes the present book." -Current Opinion "In 'Utopia of Usurers,' a series of reprints of essays first published in periodical form, Chesterton has much to say about his island. He is in a bad humor. Things have not gone well with the island. Not only is a dastardly foe threatening it from without, but there is cause for endless disgruntlements within. The 'all's well with the world' frame of mind of 'Orthodoxy' has given way to scowls and apprehensive shakings of the head. Even the cheery mysticism of that book and of so many of its successors is somewhat less in evidence than it should be in writing coming from Chesterton's pen." -The Dial "Chesterton confines his attention to denouncing conditions in England; he dismisses the case of Germany briefly and even while condemning the Prussian military-economic machine, the Prussia military-economic machine, finds time to condemn also 'the silly boycott of Germans in England, extending even to the German music." -The Independent CONTENTS A Song of Swords Utopia of Usurers I. Art and Advertisement II. Letters and the New Laureates III. Unbusinesslike Business IV. The War on Holidays V. The Church of the Servile State VI. Science and the Eugenists VII. The Evolution of the Prison VIII. The Lash for Labour IX. The Mask of Socialism
"Utopia of Usurers and Other Essays by G. K. Chesterton: " Publisher: Kindle E-Book Edition: ISBN-13: 978-1-78379-127-9 An engaging work sure to appeal to both scholars and students for the depth of its thought and the freshness of its claims, this is a two-part book by one of the 20th century's greatest writers. The first part is a coherent analysis of the theory, effects, and claims of capitalism. The second is a lengthy collection of articles from Chesterton's vast journalistic output. The author challenges the fundamental tenets of capitalism without favoring socialism or Marxism by providing a philosophical analysis of the pitfalls, drawbacks, and falsehoods regarding capitalism and its inevitability. This is must reading for any serious investigation into anti-capitalist thought. It is also an exemplary text of how Christian principles and thinking apply to the socioeconomic world. "Publisher: " Catholic Way Publishing. This Paperback is the ideal small size of 5" x 8."
What is it that angers Chesterton and fills him with grim forebodings for the future of his island? Many things and, especially, many persons. But chiefly the capitalists, the upper middle class, the usurers, or however they be termed, and the fear of the servile state, the state in which art and literature and science and efficiency and morality and everything else that has value in the eyes of mortal man become the humble servants of the money-changers, in short, the "utopia of usurers." --The Dial, 1918.
172 pages. G.K. Chesterton at his finest. A SONG OF SWORDS 4UTOPIA OF USURERS 7THE ESCAPE 57THE NEW RAID 59THE NEW NAME 64A WORKMAN'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND 72THE FRENCH REVOLUTION AND THE IRISH 79LIBERALISM: A SAMPLE 86THE FATIGUE OF FLEET STREET 92THE AMNESTY FOR AGGRESSION 98REVIVE THE COURT JESTER 105THE ART OF MISSING THE POINT 113THE SERVILE STATE AGAIN 119THE EMPIRE OF THE IGNORANT 126THE SYMBOLISM OF KRUPP 132THE TOWER OF BEBEL 137A REAL DANGER 144THE DREGS OF PURITANISM 152THE TYRANNY OF BAD JOURNALISM 158THE POETRY OF THE REVOLUTION 165
An engaging work sure to appeal to both scholars and students for the depth of its thought and the freshness of its claims, this is a two-part book by one of the 20th century's greatest writers. The first part is a coherent analysis of the theory, effects, and claims of capitalism. The second is a lengthy collection of articles from Chesterton's vast journalistic output. The author challenges the fundamental tenets of capitalism without favoring socialism or Marxism by providing a philosophical analysis of the pitfalls, drawbacks, and falsehoods regarding capitalism and its inevitability. This is must reading for any serious investigation into anti-capitalist thought. It is also an exemplary text of how Christian principles and thinking apply to the socioeconomic world.
One of the classic texts for anyone interested in the rich heritage of Catholic social doctrine. The author challenges the fundamental doctrines of capitalism by providing a philosophical analysis of its pitfalls, drawbacks, and falsehoods.
