Quotes by Frédéric Bastiat about Socialism, Legal Plunder, Greed and False Philanthropy

The French economist Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850) argues that under socialism’s facade of nice-sounding terms like fraternity, solidarity, and equality lies the “monster” of legal plunder and state coercion. He was a writer and a prominent member of the French Liberal School. Bastiat developed intellectual interests in several areas including philosophy, history, politics, religion, travel, poetry, political economy and biography.

He was the author of many works on economics and political economy, generally characterised by their clear organisation, forceful argumentation and not to forget his journalistic writing in favour of free trade, the economics of Adam Smith and acerbic wit. Bastiat's most famous work is The Law, originally published as a pamphlet in 1850. It defines a just system of laws and then demonstrates how such law facilitates a free society. In The Law, Bastiat wrote that everyone has a right to protect "his person, his liberty, and his property". The state should be only a "substitution of a common force for individual forces" to defend this right.

Events that influenced Bastiat

Frédéric Bastiat, whose life spanned the first half of the 19th century, was much influenced by the events of his time and by those which immediately preceded his birth. This era witnessed the American Revolution and the subsequent drafting of the Constitution, the French Revolution, the seizure of the French colony of Haiti by slaves, the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the trade-stifling protectionism which spread across Europe after the Napoleonic Wars. It was this latter situation which caused Bastiat to question the motives of the government.

Why is Frederic Bastiat important?

He was known for identifying flaws in protectionism, which is the theory or practice of taxing imported goods, to shield a country's domestic industries from foreign competition. He was equally known for his use of satire, to shed light on political and economic principles.

Bastiat outlined how a free society can develop through a just legal system. In essence, he argued that a government consists only of the people. Therefore it has no legitimate powers beyond those that people would individually have.

What Can We Learn from Frédéric Bastiat?

The revolution in France led to a tragic conclusion. There, when the ‘common man’ seized control of the government, laws were passed to authorise that government to take the property, the liberty, and the lives of the aristocracy. And, the full force of the law also fell on anyone who opposed or even questioned the authority of that government to take those actions.

Bastiat identified 2 causes – greed and false philanthropy. Even today, we don’t have to look far to find examples of legalised plunder motivated by greed. And, the public laments the seeming influence of lobbyists and other special interests on the workings of government. While each year sees some new attempt to curb these abuses, they will continue until the government is confined to its proper role.

His book The Law is a must read for everyone.