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Summary: Seminal information for government and law theory.
Review: When it seems that government is involved with something that probably isn't within its proper sphere, one has to ask: "What are the proper limits of the use of government power? When should it start, and when should it stop?" The Law answers these questions absolutely. Timeless
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Summary: "Let Us Now Try Liberty"
Review: Fredric Bastiat's "The Law" covers much more than simply legal constructs. It is an in-depth study of the nature of ordered liberty, economics, socialism, law, the human drive to control others and the interaction between them. It is amazing to read Bastiat's (he was a French economist) dire warnings about socialism and compare those warnings to what is happening in modern day France. France faces high unemployment, its economic growth is non-existant and it is a welfare state where the 35 hour work week recently led to 35,000 deaths during a heat wave because doctors on vacation refused to return to treat the sick. I recognize that capitalism has its problems as well, and I would have loved to see Bastiat deal more with the problem of the poor in capitalist societies, but I suppose that is a topic for another book. I suspect that Bastiat would have supported private charities to support the poor as this would not have conflicted with his notion of "forced charity" and the degradation of liberty. In sum, "The Law" is a magnificent thesis on the importance of liberty. It is genius in its simplicity and compelling in its argument. This book will help you understand why Patrick Henry proudly proclaimed hundreds of years ago: "Give me liberty or give me death!"
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Summary: A Historical Perspective
Review: First, this is an excellent book and one I highly recommend. It is a short read and can easily be read in one sitting. While there is much here that is relevant to contemporary society, it is also necessary to put his observations into historical perspective. Bastiat grew up during the reign of Napoleon and the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution. He came of age during the reign of Louis Napoleon and all of the subsequent political upheavals. The society with which he was familiar was essentially agrarian rather than industrial, hence he focuses on the need for the individual's right to retain all he has earned. He fails -- and understandably so -- to recognize the rights of the capitalist to a return on his investment. He dances around universal sufferage but in fact seems to accept the need for limitations since he implies the prolitariat is too dumb to vote. He doesn't accept any role for government beyond his basic premise of the sole purpose of the law is to protect and defend from plunder. While his arguments regarding the law are essentially sound they do not probe deep enough into the role of government in a complex society. His view of government is that it is "socialism" pure and simple. If you step back and project his writings into our time they still have relevance but -- at least in my opinion -- they need to be adjusted to fit our reality. If taken literally, Bastiat comes across as an Anarchist who does not believe in any government or at least no government beyond what is needed for defense. However, his interpretation of the law and how it is corrupted to take from the haves to give to the lazy is well made. His focus on the individual and rights of the individual are better made by Ayn Rand (The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged).
This is a very good book, but needs to read and placed into historical perspective.
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Summary: A short, awesome read
Review: This book is very small, and can practiclly be read in a single sitting. It is an easy to understand, simple work that builds upon itself to bring the reader to bigger and larger issues as you go through it. This book goes through the basis of what law stands for, and why it should not stretch beyond it's boundries.
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Summary: The first political book that i COMPLETELY agreed with!!!
Review: I read "The Law" as part of my Civics course this year in highschool, and I'm SOOOOOOOO glad it was required. At 16, I'm scared to death at where my country is heading and this book contains the answers for a government and law system that'd make a country I'd be proud of in every way. This is a book I'd buy in bulk and stuff in newspaper boxes if I had the means -as it is all my friends are going to get it for Christmas along with a glowing report from myself. Heck, who needs to wait for Christmas, ELECTION DAY IS COMING!
This book was originally in a pamphlet format and is a wonderful short summary of what the natures of law and government are and what they should be. But because of this format, many of his arguements are brief, and he acknowledges that not all of them are complete.
He starts out stating the gifts of God to man are: life, liberty and property. Bastiat insists that man is allowed to defend himself, his liberty, and his property, and that "the Law" was created to ensure that society would be allowed to make use of their God-given gifts.
Then the he goes on to explain how "the Law" is abused by men. He states there are two basic ways of living, the first is to work hard and produce, and the second is to plunder and live off of others. When man finds that plundering is easier than work, he will plunder. The only thing that will stop him is if there are consequences that he will have to deal with and dangers that he must risk. Bastiat shows how tempting it is for man to use the law to plunder (how "legal plunder" is the taking of property, which -if done without the benefit of the law- would have been a dealt with as a crime). He goes on to explain how this "legal plundering" will ruin a society and cause economic turmoil.
Bastiat then goes into socialism, and how it plays out in society. He gives examples of various socialist writers, and points out how they view mankind as some raw material that is to be controlled and manipulated. Frederic Bastiat shows how they divide mankind into two classes, with themselves as the nobler of the two, and the rest of man as evil masses that are to be shaped and guided by their own uses of "the Law" and made to be good. They consider themselves to be above the rest, and capable of making better choices than the rest of the world.
Even though it was written in the 1800's, Bastiat writing is extremely relevant today, and deals with the issues of welfare, government schools, and other subsidies of the law that are not to be. He states that "the law is justice" and that "the purpose of the law is to prevent injustice from reigning" for justice only exists when injustice is absent. It clearly defines socialism for what it is and gives various examples of the results of it. This book has to be (as another reviewer has said) the liberal's worst nightmare.
SO READ IT! USE IT! SHARE IT!
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Summary: Good short argument for limited government
Review: This was written in 1850, just after the 1848 revolution in France. Bastiat was concerned by all the different groups that were trying to use "The Law" or in Hayek's words, "The State" to remake society into their vision of a more perfect society. Bastiat argues that trying to use the law to help out one group does so at the expense of another group, he calls this "legal plunder" and points out how in the long run this will ruin society. Bastiat starts off saying that the basic gifts man has from God are: life, liberty, and property. It is appropriate and correct to defend yourself, your liberty, and your property. "The Law" was created to ensure that individuals in society were allowed to use these gifts. Bastiat says that unfortunately "The Law" is abused by the greed and false philanthropy of man. There are two basic ways of getting ahead in life, the first is to work hard and produce, the second is to plunder from others. When trade off and risks for plunder are better than labor, many people will turn to plunder. It is very tempting for those who make laws to use the law to plunder. Bastiat says "legal plunder" is to use the law to take property, which if was done without the benefit of the law would have been considered a crime. He has some fairly pointed barbs at socialists. He says many of the writers at his time seem to view people as raw material, to be formed or controlled. He says that most socialists see mankind as evil, while they (the socialists) are good. This leads the socialists to feeling justified in using "The Law" to make mankind be good. Bastiat asks why so many people in government feel that mankind makes too many mistakes, but that they in government are nobler and will make better choices. This is short, and because the original format was a pamphlet, Bastiat acknowledges that it is not complete. So many of his points and arguments are brief. This is a good call to action, to encourage people to be more informed about their government, and to work to limit the government. So much of what Bastiat said long ago is still true.
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