The maturing of a humane economist

Modern Age, Summer, 2003 by John Attarian

These misallocations deprive the mature Ropke of the exposure he merits. This dereliction is especially grave regarding A Humane Economy, Ropke's last and most reflective and nuanced book, the product of a lifetime of observation and thought, in which Ropke's Christian humanism reaches its fullest expression. Zmirak's presentation, only a few pages long, is cursory and inadequate, merely touching on A Humane Economy's criticisms of the welfare state and its acknowledgement of man's spiritual nature and the importance of the family. Clearly, this particular book has far more to say than Zmirak lets on.

Because A Humane Economy is so important not only in Ropke's oeuvre but also in illuminating modern man's predicament--it is, indeed, one of the greatest works of political economy of the twentieth century--permit me to remedy this deficiency by underlining some of its wise insights. Ropke pointed out that "the ultimate moral support of the market economy lies outside the market. Market and competition are far from generating their moral prerequisites autonomously." The market and consumption "constantly strain them, draw upon them, and consume them." Chronic competitive pressure, he further warned, could abrade ethical standards. He especially deplored the commercialization of all aspects of existence. For capitalism to generate favorable outcomes, one must have honorable character, self-discipline, public spirit, moderation, and high ethical standards before one becomes an economic agent. Like Russell Kirk, Ropke was keenly aware of the menace of boredom, "the true curse of our age," and traced it to mass society and its stress on material gratification. His endorsement of democracy was highly qualified; democracy comports with liberty in the long run only if most voters agree that "certain supreme norms and principles of public life and economic order must remain outside the sphere of democratic decisions." History has vindicated Ropke on these matters and more.

Oddly, while observing that Ropke enriched conservatism's critique of modernity with "a comprehensive understanding of classical liberal economics," and that "Ropke's work has found new resonance" in America through the Ludwig von Mises Institute, Zmirak omits the yeomanly efforts of conservative Christian economist Ralph Ancil to keep the flame of Ropke's wisdom burning. Such an omission demands correction. With Kirk, economist William Campbell, Robert Knight of the Family Research Council, and educator Tom Landess, Dr. Ancil founded the Wilhelm Roepke Institute in 1993. It published the quarterly Wilhelm Roepke Review from 1993 through 2000, when insufficient funding forced suspension of operations. (1) In the Review and in essays such as "The Romanticism of Wilhelm Roepke" (Modern Age, Summer 1999), Ancil presented, elaborated and applied Ropke's ideas.

Despite its shortcomings, Wilhelm Ropke is a valuable work. It presents most of the essentials of Ropke's thought, illustrates the development of his mind, and, as any good introductory intellectual biography should, whets the reader's appetite for his writings. If this book stimulates a revival of interest in Ropke, then it will have made a lasting contribution to restoring sense and humanity to an impious world.