Gauntlet: A Challenge to the Myth of Progress - Softcover

This is the first volume of a planned collection of works by Arthur Penty, one of the leading English socio-economic writers of the early to middle 20th century. In the first volume, Penty covers some of the basics of his thinking on social and economic questions. He rigorously and thoroughly, but dispassionately, examines the assumptions and preconceptions behind both of the dominant modern economic systems, capitalism and socialism. He exposes the flaws in both approaches to economics, and proposes his alternative vision: a system of guilds for both workers and management, and a scheme of widespread property ownership. This is the first time that this collection of Penty's thought has been made available to modern readers. It will be of interest to anyone dealing with the philosophical and logical foundations of economic theory.

Arthur Penty (1875-1938) was described by G. K. Chesterton as the greatest of the Distributist theorists. He was an author, political activist, and architect. He wrote over 10 books on Distributist theory and the guild system. He was the originator of the Guild Socialist Movement in England. As a result, the National Guilds League was created in 1915.