Acton Institute Powerblog Archives

Vocation

November 13, 2018

The sharing economy: How do we maintain a culture of ownership?

As we survey the modern economy, individual ownership appears to be on the demise. We see an increasing preference for access over ownership and collaborative consumption, from the streaming- and cloud-centric features of the latest technology to the increasingly “share-happy” habits of American consumers amid a burgeoning “gig economy.” On the surface, such a shift would seem to bring endless benefits: more options, more flexibility, better quality, cheaper prices, fewer risks, and (presumably) more freedom. Continue Reading...
October 31, 2018

Sentimentalism in the Church: a modern epidemic

Involvement in the Christian Church should never be characterized by self-centeredness. Christianity, by definition, is a religion that emphasizes sacrifice and selflessness. However, a recent shift towards religious sentimentalism raises questions about the desire for truth in the modern-day. Continue Reading...
October 11, 2018

How Michigan’s licensing laws hinder the disadvantaged

Proponents of greater government intervention often argue that some freedoms are well worth sacrificing for greater social stability or public health and safety. Such is particularly the case with occupational licensing and other micro-regulations, where the government routinely imposes barriers with the stated aims of “protecting consumers” or “stabilizing industries.” But while such regulations may overly technical and practical, the cost of the corresponding freedoms is far from abstract. Continue Reading...
September 27, 2018

Business Matters: Meaningful Work in the Modern Age

Like everything else in 2018, business has an emotional and often polarizing effect in our society. There are, of course, legitimate stories of business behaving badly. One high-profile example: the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica debacle that thrust the social media giant into the spotlight with a data breach affecting 87 million users. Continue Reading...
Business Matters: Meaningful Work in the Modern Age
September 11, 2018

How garbage collectors thread the fabric of civilization

In a short film from StoryCorps, sanitation workers Angelo Bruno and Eddie Nieves reflect on their time spent sharing a garbage route in Manhattan’s West Village. Their story offers a striking portrait of the dignity, meaning, and transcendent value of work done in the service of neighbors. Continue Reading...