This outstanding symposium on Laudato Si in the Independent Review’s last issue is a response to Pope Francis ‘s call for dialogue but demonstrates that the content of the Encyclical is at odd with classical liberal economists who advance that propoerty rights and markets are the main drivers for prosperity and environmental protection. In addition, Pope Francis’s background (Argentina and Liberation theology) explains an intellectual divergence with his predecessors from Aquinas to Benedict XVI who supported property and market Why did the Pope refer to Shellnhuber, an atheist linked to the Club of Rome’s dire predictions instead of refering to Nobel Prizes Ronald Coase and of course Elinor Ostrom ? Dealing with environmental issues I recommend more specifically Philip Booth’s “Property rights and conservation” and A.M.C. Waterman’s “Pope Francis on the environmental crisis”. This 150 pp. symposium on Laudato Si is probably the best analysis from a conservative perspective and should be discussed in Europe as well.
Max Falque