The Law by Frédéric Bastiat
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About this eBook
| Author | Bastiat, Frédéric, 1801-1850 |
|---|---|
| Uniform Title | La loi. English |
| Title | The Law |
| Credits |
Produced by David Widger from page scans generously provided by the Google Books Project, with a Creative Commons license granted by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, Auburn, Alabama |
| Summary | "The Law" by Frédéric Bastiat is a political essay written in the mid-19th century. The work serves as a staunch defense of individual rights and the negative role of government in societal matters. Bastiat articulates the philosophy that the true purpose of law should be to protect the life, liberty, and property of individuals rather than to serve as an instrument for plundering one class for the benefit of another, a concept he describes as "legal plunder." The opening of "The Law" introduces the central argument that law, when properly functioning, is an organization of natural rights meant to defend against injustice, not to administer wealth or dictate behavior. Bastiat expresses alarm about how the law has been perverted to become a tool of avarice and exploitation instead of a protector of the rights of individuals. He emphasizes that both greed and misguided philanthropy have corrupted the legal system, leading to a societal structure where individuals or groups seek to exploit the law for personal gain. This foundational idea sets the stage for the profound exploration of justice, property, and the dangers of government interference in personal liberties that Bastiat develops throughout the essay. (This is an automatically generated summary.) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | K: Law in general, Comparative and uniform law, Jurisprudence |
| Subject | Property |
| Subject | Law -- Philosophy |
| Subject | Justice, Administration of |
| Subject | Law and socialism |
| Subject | Socialism and liberty |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 44800 |
| Release Date | Jan 30, 2014 |
| Most Recently Updated | Nov 6, 2014 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 448 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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