“Which countries contain the most peaceful, the most moral, and the happiest people? Those people are found in the countries where the law least interferes with private affairs; where the government is least felt; where the individual has the greatest scope, and free opinion the greatest influence; where the administrative powers are fewest and simplest; where taxes are lightest and most nearly equal” PeopleCountryGovernmentLawFoundIndividualFeltMoralOpinionInfluenceTaxesEqualAffairPeacefulInterfereSimplestScopeAdministrativeFree Opinion Book:The Law Source: The Law
“Nothing is more senseless than to base so many expectations on the state, that is, to assume the existence of collective wisdom and foresight after taking for granted the existence of individual imbecility and improvidence.” StatesIndividualExistenceExpectationsAssumingGrantedCollectivesForesightImbecilityCollective Wisdom Author:Frederic Bastiat
“Since no individual acting separately can lawfully use force to destroy the rights of others, does it not logically follow that the same principle also applies to the common force that is nothing more than the organized combination of the individual forces?” DoeUseIndividualForceCommonActingPrinciplesRightsCombinationOrganized Book:The Law Source: The Law
“If every person has the right to defend - even by force - his person, his liberty, and his property, then it follows that a group of men have the right to organize and support a common force to protect these rights constantly. Thus, since an individual cannot lawfully use force against the person, liberty, or property of another individual, then the common force - for the same reason - cannot lawfully be used to destroy the person, liberty, or property of individuals or groups.” IfsMenPersonsReasonUseUsedIndividualForceCommonLibertySupportRightsGroupsProtectPropertyIndividualityOrganize Author:Frederic Bastiat
“If you wish to prosper, let your customer prosper. When people have learned this lesson, everyone will seek his individual welfare in the general welfare. Then jealousies between man and man, city and city, province and province, nation and nation, will no longer trouble the world.” PeopleIfsMenWorldIndividualNationsWishCitiesLibertyTroubleEconomicLessonsEconomicsCustomersWelfareProvincesGeneral Welfare Author:Frederic Bastiat
“Finally, is not liberty the restricting of the law only to its rational sphere of organizing the right of the individual to lawful self-defense; of punishing injustice?” SelfLawIndividualLibertyInjusticeDefenseRationalSpheresSelf Defense Book:The Law Source: The Law
“What, then is law [government]? It is the collective organization of the individual right to lawful defense.” GovernmentLawIndividualLibertyOrganizationDefenseCollectivesIntriguing Author:Frederic Bastiat
“But we assure the socialists that we repudiate only forced organization, not natural organization. We repudiate the forms of association that are forced upon us, not free association. We repudiate forced fraternity, not true fraternity. We repudiate the artificial unity that does nothing more than deprive persons of individual responsibility. We do not repudiate the natural unity of mankind under Providence.” PersonsDoeFormIndividualNaturalResponsibilityLibertyEconomicMankindEconomicsOrganizationUnityAssociationArtificialProvidenceFraternityIndividual Responsibility Author:Frederic Bastiat
“Who then would not like to see these benefits flow upon the world from the law, as from an inexhaustible source? But is it possible? Whence does the State draw those resources that it is urged to dispense by way of benefits to individuals? Is it not from the individuals themselves? How, then, can these resources be increased by passing through the hands of a parasitic and voracious intermediary?” WorldWayDoeStatesPhilosophyHandsLawPoliticalIndividualSourceBenefitsDrawsResourcesEconomicsFlowPassingPassingsPassing Through Author:Frederic Bastiat
“The law is the collective organization of the individual's right to lawful defense of his life, liberty and property. When it is used for anything else, no matter how noble the cause, it becomes perverted and justice is weakened. Thus, the law has become perverted by stupid greed and false philanthropy.” MatterLawUsedIndividualCausesJusticeLibertyStupidOrganizationPropertyGreedDefenseNobleCollectivesAnarchyPhilanthropy Author:Frederic Bastiat
“In fact, if law were restricted to protecting all persons, all liberties, and all properties; if law were nothing more than the organized combination of the individual's right to self-defense; if law were the obstacle, the check, the punisher of all oppression and plunder - is it likely that we citizens would then argue much about the extent of the franchise?” IfsPersonsSelfFactsLawIndividualLibertyCitizensPropertyObstaclesDefenseLibertarianArguingChecksOppressionCombinationOrganizedSelf DefensePlunderPunisher Book:The Law Source: The Law
“If socialists mean that under extraordinary circumstances, for urgent cases, the State should set aside some resources to assist certain unfortunate people, to help them adjust to changing conditions, we will, of course, agree. This is done now; we desire that it be done better. There is however, a point on this road that must not be passed; it is the point where governmental foresight would step in to replace individual foresight and thus destroy it.” PeopleIfsShouldMeanStatesDoneHelpingDesireCertainCoursesIndividualStepsCasesConditionsCircumstancesResourcesAgreeExtraordinaryUnfortunateUrgentForesight Author:Frederic Bastiat
