The Georgist Paradigm is a model of political economy that offers comprehensive solutions to the social and ecological problems of our age. At its heart are principles on land rights and public finance that integrate economic efficiency with social justice. The thesis examined in this selection goes beyond the claim that society is blighted by a systematic flaw. The author maintains that during the past two centuries, western culture has also nurtured the seeds of a new type of society that is waiting to blossom forth. This view is not based on a theory of historical inevitability of the Marxist kind, however. According to the author, change in the immediate future is not a foregone conclusion, because the centrifugal forces generated by the distortions in our culture have created a strong sense of powerlessness. The author argues that social rules have to be changed if people are to benefit from qualitative improvements.
