Book Review: The Law By Frederic Bastiat

Aside from the scriptures, I can think of no writing that I would recommend more wholeheartedly than Frederic Bastiat's The Law. Written in the 1850's, perhaps the biggest hurdle for the modern reader will be getting accustomed to the somewhat archaic and yet elegant style. Yet despite that, the ideas are presented with a clarity and logic that is easily understood, enlightens the mind and arouses the spirit.What is The Law? It is nothing more than an expose of what makes a good government good, and why straying from those principles – even for seemingly good purposes – must always end badly. He also poses some ideas that will be challenging for the modern reader to accept. For example:

It can be further stated that, thanks to the non-intervention of the state in private affairs, our wants and their satisfactions would develop themselves in a logical manner. We would not see poor families seeking literary instruction before they have bread.

I expect such an idea will be very greatly resisted by the modern reader, as it appears to say that poor people do not have a right to an education. If you find yourself offended to some degree by the statement, then The Law is indeed for you. It is a book for changing minds and changing hearts, and it would be a shame indeed if it were only read by those who already fundamentally agree with it.

The Law is available for free online here. Also, do not make the mistake of skipping the excellent foreword by Walter Williams or the introduction by Richard Ebeling. Both do a great job of setting the stage for the wonderful read you have in store. I expect that a good many people will read the short work in one sitting, and will treasure the few hours spent to do so.

I leave you with this snippet from the foreword:

Many philosophers have made important contributions to the discourse on liberty, Bastiat among them. But Bastiat's greatest contribution is that he took the discourse out of the ivory tower and made ideas on liberty so clear that even the unlettered can understand them and statists cannot obfuscate them.

Clarity is crucial to persuading our fellowman of the moral superiority of personal liberty.

Enjoy!

K. Ted