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Summary: Clear, Elegant Phrasing and Startling Insights
Review: Bastiat's The Law is a liberal's nightmare. Written over 150 years ago ago, it clearly defines what is wrong with socialism and explains (actually Bastiat accurately predicted) why socialist programs breed their own corruption and defines "Legal Plunder" in the clearest of terms. Don't be put off by the age of the book; the writing is more clear and more concise than almost any current book.Here is a quote, "But how is this legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime." I have given away at least a dozen copies of this book; I believe the book is that important. I can think of no higher personal endorsement.
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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: Fascinating and thought-provoking
Review: Frederic Bastiat (1801-50) was a French economist, philosopher and statesman, and this book was written by him as he was already dying of tuberculosis. In The Law, Monsieur Bestiat examines what the natures of law and government are and what they should be, and shows how the natural greed of humanity leads to a perversion of them. He goes on to show that the natural result of this "legal plunder" is ultimately communism and a dictatorship, not of the proletariat, but of a self-styled elite that views the proletariat as a raw material to be molded and, if necessary, broken. I must say that Frederic Bastiat was able to pack more fascinating analysis into a short space than any other writer I have ever seen. He was definitely cast in the same mold as the founding fathers of the United States, with his belief that life, liberty and property are the unalienable gifts of God. He persuasively argues for the defense of these rights, and shows what happens when a people decide to trample upon them. If you are interested in the philosophy that produced the United States of America, then I highly recommend that you read this fascinating and thought-provoking book!
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Summary: A great introduction to Libertarian Philosophy
Review: Frederick Bastiat was a French Farmer in the first half of the 19th century who watched his country's government assume more and more power. That is what I thought made this book unique - In the first paragraph, he states his intent of the book to be an "alert" to his countrymen - which is probably why the book is so emotional as well as succinct. Bastiat manages to describe the purpose of "law," from a religious standpoint, in the first 3-4 pages. The rest of the book is mostly specific details of how his description of the proper purpose of the law has been thwarted in France in 1850. Many of the same principals apply today. For three bucks and an hour of your time, this book is guaranteed to engage you and make you think. In my experience, its ability to persuade people is uncanny.
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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: We've Met the Enemy, and He is Us
Review: I just read the book today. In French, but taken off the National Library online as this book is not printed in the nowadays Communist France.
Twice today I got tears in my eyes ...
First when I read the book.
Second when I read your Americans reviews. Thanks God some people still remember who Tocqueville and Bastiat are !!! They're almost considered subversive material in my country now. A simple, iconoclastic book which seems too basics for left-wing "publicists" but is more refreshing than many elaborate mathematical heavy treaties. To be put between a "Road to Serfdom" and "1984". Read on !
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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: The most common sense logic written on government.
Review: I read this book in 1980; at the time I was chairman of the democratic party in my county. I really began to do some serious soul searching. I finally concluded I was going to leave my party, as It no longer represented it's founder Mr Thomas Jefferson. This small simple easy to read book totally changed my life That same year I met Jim Hansen, he was making his first run for congress from the state of Utah, I made a deal with him, I would vote for him if he would read The Law by Bastiat. He promised, and I did. I received a nice letter from Jim after he was elected. " Never read a book that has so impressed me". P.S. "Find Yourself another copy, Im keeping Yours". Jim. Best three dollars ever spent. Ron Steele Moab, Utah
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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: A work of compelling simplicity and relevance
Review: This book was given to me by a friend and it encapsulated all that i believed government should do. A great political and economic primer for all those who love liberty and cherish freedom. The book is short and inexpensive so purchase more than one and give the surplus away.
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