Religion & Liberty Online

French-language readers of transatlantic learn of free-market environmentalism

The Acton Institute continues our outreach to the Francophone world with a new translation of one of our articles on the pivotal issue of environmental stewardship. The latest offering illustrates how the free market cares for creation better than government intervention.

Our friend Benoît H. Perringraciously translated Joseph Sunde’s article “Free market environmentalism: Conserving and collaborating with nature”; the resultant “Une écologie de marché pour collaborer avec la nature” may be read at Acton’s Religion & Liberty Transatlantic website.

Sunde notes the reality of private vs. common property: When things are held in common, no one person feels responsible for maintaining or improving it. Each individual improves things he owns.

Sunde adds that this not only improves natural resources but causes us to develop our personalities by exercising responsibility. He writes:

Lorsqu’on nous donne la propriété réelle de ressources précieuses, nous empruntons une voie de formation unique en tant que créateurs, innovateurs, entrepreneurs et travailleurs. Nous ne prendrons pas toujours les bonnes décisions, et nous échouerons souvent, mais quand on nous donne la liberté dans le processus de collaboration et de conservation, nous commençons à réaliser une partie de notre vocation fondamentale en tant qu’êtres humains forgés à l’image d’un Dieu Créateur.

Read the full translation here.

(Photo credit: Public domain.)

Rev. Ben Johnson

Rev. Ben Johnson is an Eastern Orthodox priest and served as executive editor of the Acton Institute from 2016 to 2021. His work has appeared in a wide variety of publications, including National Review, the American Spectator, The Guardian, National Catholic Register, Providence, Jewish World Review, Human Events, and the American Orthodox Institute. His personal websites are therightswriter.com and RevBenJohnson.com. You can find him on X: @therightswriter.