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Frédéric Bastiat

Claude-Frédéric Bastiat – French economist, writer, and a prominent member of the French Liberal School.

Blog Posts

Public Works

August 9, 2024
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Economics

This chapter by Frédéric Bastiat first appeared in his 1850 essay "That Which Is Seen, and That Which Is Not Seen." It is re-published with reverence for and gratitude to the great French economist and philosopher, who was described as "the most brilliant economic journalist who ever lived" by economic theorist Joseph Schumpeter. Nothing is more natural than that a nation, after making sure that a great enterprise will profit the community, should have such an enterprise carried out with funds collected from the citizenry. But I lose patience completely, I confess, when I hear alleged in support

The Broken Window 

August 8, 2024
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Economics

This parable by Frédéric Bastiat first appeared in his 1850 essay "That Which Is Seen, and That Which Is Not Seen." It has become a foundational piece of pro-liberty thinking. It is re-published with reverence for and gratitude to the great French economist and philosopher who was described as "the most brilliant economic journalist who ever lived" by economic theorist Joseph Schumpeter. Have you ever been witness to the fury of that solid citizen, James Goodfellow, when his incorrigible son has happened to break a pane of glass? If you have been present at this spectacle, certainly you must