The Best of Frederic Bastiat

“The worst thing that can happen to a good cause is not to be skillfully attacked, but to be ineptly defended.” ~Frederic Bastiat

Frederic Bastiat wrote with urgency and passion for the free society, even until his last breath. He knew that political systems were not enough to preserve freedom.

We need public consensus that comes from practical and moral conviction. He left us with the perfect model for how to obtain this.

This is why AIER has put together this collection consisting of five of Bastiat’s most lucid and compelling pieces. There are many others, so please just consider this the essence of his work, a beginning and not an end.

If this is your first time encountering his great work, prepare yourself for a change of mind, and a lifetime of intellectual adventure.

Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850) was a French economist who wrote with urgency and passion for the free society. His writings greatly influenced the Austrian School. Bastiat is regarded by some historians as “the most brilliant economic journalist who ever lived.”

I. The Law
II. That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen
III. The Candlemakers’ Petition
IV. A Negative Railroad
V. Government