“The Law,” “The State,” and Other Political Writings, 1843–1850. Bastiat Frédéric
aim was to convince as many people as possible that liberal economic theory is the only way to evaluate political decisions rationally and to help bring about the creation of a free, prosperous, and peaceful society.
Pascal Salin
My thanks to David M. Hart for his editorial contributions and his insights into the history of this period.
[print edition page xxxii]
Frédéric Bastiat Chronology
| 1801 | Born in Bayonne, 30 June. |
| 1808 | Death of mother. Moves to Mugron with father, grandfather, and Aunt Justine. |
| 1810 | Death of father. |
| 1814–18 | Attends school at Sorèze. |
| 1819–25 | Works in Bayonne for his Uncle Monclar. |
| 1825 | Death of grandfather. Inherits part of his estate. |
| 1830 | The “three glorious days,” 27–29 July. Louis-Philippe becomes “king of the French.” |
| 1831 | Appointed county judge. |
| 1833 | Elected to the General Council of the Landes. |
| 1840 | Travels to Spain and Portugal. |
| 1844 | On the Influence of French and English Tariff s on the Future of the Two Peoples. |
| 1845 | Travels to Paris and London. |
| Cobden and the League. | |
| Economic Sophisms (first series). | |
| 1846 | Founds the Association pour la liberté des échanges. |
| To the Electors of the District of Saint-Sever. | |
| Founds weekly journal Le Libre-échange. | |
| 1847 | Economic Sophisms (second series). |
| 1848 | Revolution, 22–24 February. The republic is proclaimed. |
| Elected to the Constituent Assembly, 23 April. | |
| Founds La République française and Jacques Bonhomme. | |
| Property and Law. | |
| Justice and Fraternity. | |
| Property and Plunder. | |
| The State. | |
| Louis-Napoléon elected president of the republic, 10 December. | |
| [print edition page xxxiii] | |
| 1849 | Elected to the Legislative Assembly, 13 May. |
| Protectionism and Communism. | |
| Capital and Rent. | |
| Peace and Freedom, or the Republican Budget. | |
| Parliamentary Incompatibilities. | |
| Damned Money. | |
| Free Credit. | |
| 1850 | Economic Harmonies. |
| Plunder and Law. | |
| The Law. | |
| Baccalaureate and Socialism. | |
| What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen. | |
| Departure for Rome, September. | |
| Dies in Rome, 24 December. |
An expanded and detailed version of the life and works of Bastiat can be found at oll.libertyfund.org/person/25.
[print edition page xxxiv]
Map of France Showing Cities Mentioned by Bastiat
Cartography by Mapping Specialists, Madison, Wisconsin.
[print edition page xxxv]
Map of Southwestern France
Cartography by Mapping Specialists, Madison, Wisconsin.
[print edition page xxxvi]
[print edition page xxxvii]
“The Law,” “The State,” and Other Political Writings, 1843–1850
[print edition page xxxviii]
[print edition page 1]
[vol. 1, p. 231. “Réflexions sur les pétitions de Bordeaux, Le Havre et Lyon, concernant les Douanes.” April 1834. n.p.]
Free trade will probably suffer the fate of all freedoms; it will be introduced into our legislation only after it has taken hold of our minds. For this reason, we should applaud the efforts of the traders in Bordeaux, Le Havre, and Lyons even if the only effect of these efforts in the immediate future is to draw public attention to the matter.
However, if it is true that a reform has to be generally understood to be firmly established, it follows that nothing can be more disastrous than something that misleads opinion. And nothing is more likely to mislead