Episode 9: Neal Flesher on the Moral Value of Money (October 21, 2025)

In this episode of Catholic Social Teaching, Robert Fastiggi and Michael Vacca interview Neal Flesher on his book Modern Chains: The Invisible Shackles of Economic Slavery.Modern Chains examines a truth we have been conditioned to ignore: our financial system functions as a silent mechanism of enslavement. Drawing on centuries of history, philosophy, and moral reasoning, author Neal Flesher reveals how our fiat monetary order corrodes human dignity and fractures communities.This book delivers a powerful appeal to moral clarity. By exposing the architecture of fractional reserve banking, revealing the invalid logic of debt-based money, demolishing the justifications for “acceptable” inflation, and unveiling the soul-siphoning nature of usury, Flesher maps out the moral imperative to resist with logical rigor and resounding rhetorical force.Yet Modern Chains does not dwell in gloom. It presents practical tools for liberation in the form of a revolutionary monetary alternative: one requiring no trust in political promises or corporate benevolence. If you have ever sensed something deeply wrong beneath everyday economic life, this book’s philosophical depth and practical guidance may be your key to shaking off those invisible chains.Modern Chains: The Invisible Shackles of Economic Slavery by Neal Flesher | En Route Books and Media