The Frenchman Bastiat (1801-1850) was enormously effective expressing the freedom philosophy in popular terms. Nobel Laureate F.A. Hayek called him "a publicist of genius." Bastiat wrote brilliant essays and satires showing why protectionism is plunder. His most famous satire is a petition by candlemakers who want the government to prevent unfair competition from the sun by forcing everybody to block out sunlight.

Bastiat, who became a good friend of the English free traders Richard Cobden and John Bright, launched the free trade movement in France. The result was the historic 1860 trade liberalization agreement between France and England, countries which had fought each other for more than two hundred years. This agreement, in turn, led to trade liberalization with Austria-Hungary, German states, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Bastiat displayed extraordinary insight when he showed why socialism must lead to tyranny. Incredibly, he began publishing his critiques of socialism before Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels had written The Communist Manifesto (1848).

In his beloved little book The Law (1850) and other writings, Bastiat exposed the folly of relying on government to solve problems. He wrote, "The state opens a road, builds a palace, repairs a street, digs a canal; with these projects it gives jobs to certain workers. That is what is seen. But it deprives certain other laborers of employment. That is what is not seen . . . do millions of francs descend miraculously on a moonbeam into the coffers of [politicians]? For the process to be complete, does not the state have to organize the collection of funds as well as their expenditure? Does it not have to get its tax collectors into the country and its taxpayers to make their contributions?"

Any Idea which Authors Frederic Bastiat liked? Here are a few...

Introduced to the world of economics by Adam Smith (The Wealth of Nations and Theory of Moral Sentiments), Jean-Baptiste Say, Charles Dunoyer, Charles Comte and Destutt de Tracy -- Bastiat considered them to be among his favorite writers. Bastiat also enjoyed the works of thinkers like John Bright and his long time and close friend Richard Cobden. Benjamin Franklin, for the man he was, also earned Bastiat's admiration.

Bastiat lovers may find texts of their favorite author electronically, in original French, or in English.

(Reprinted with permission from Laissez Faire Books)

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