“The Law,” “The State,” and Other Political Writings, 1843–1850. Bastiat Frédéric

aim was to convince as many people as possible that liberal economic theory is the only way to evaluate political decisions rationally and to help bring about the creation of a free, prosperous, and peaceful society.

       Pascal Salin

      My thanks to David M. Hart for his editorial contributions and his insights into the history of this period.

      [print edition page xxxii]

Frédéric Bastiat Chronology

1801	Born in Bayonne, 30 June.
1808	Death of mother. Moves to Mugron with father, grandfather, and Aunt Justine.
1810	Death of father.
1814–18	Attends school at Sorèze.
1819–25	Works in Bayonne for his Uncle Monclar.
1825	Death of grandfather. Inherits part of his estate.
1830	The “three glorious days,” 27–29 July. Louis-Philippe becomes “king of the French.”
1831	Appointed county judge.
1833	Elected to the General Council of the Landes.
1840	Travels to Spain and Portugal.
1844	On the Influence of French and English Tariff s on the Future of the Two Peoples.
1845	Travels to Paris and London.
	Cobden and the League.
	Economic Sophisms (first series).
1846	Founds the Association pour la liberté des échanges.
	To the Electors of the District of Saint-Sever.
	Founds weekly journal Le Libre-échange.
1847	Economic Sophisms (second series).
1848	Revolution, 22–24 February. The republic is proclaimed.
	Elected to the Constituent Assembly, 23 April.
	Founds La République française and Jacques Bonhomme.
	Property and Law.
	Justice and Fraternity.
	Property and Plunder.
	The State.
	Louis-Napoléon elected president of the republic, 10 December.
[print edition page xxxiii]
1849	Elected to the Legislative Assembly, 13 May.
	Protectionism and Communism.
	Capital and Rent.
	Peace and Freedom, or the Republican Budget.
	Parliamentary Incompatibilities.
	Damned Money.
	Free Credit.
1850	Economic Harmonies.
	Plunder and Law.
	The Law.
	Baccalaureate and Socialism.
	What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen.
	Departure for Rome, September.
	Dies in Rome, 24 December.

      An expanded and detailed version of the life and works of Bastiat can be found at oll.libertyfund.org/person/25.

      [print edition page xxxiv]

Map of France Showing Cities Mentioned by Bastiat

      Cartography by Mapping Specialists, Madison, Wisconsin.

      [print edition page xxxv]

Map of Southwestern France

      Cartography by Mapping Specialists, Madison, Wisconsin.

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“The Law,” “The State,” and Other Political Writings, 1843–1850

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      [print edition page 1]

1 Reflections on the Petitions from Bordeaux, Le Havre, and Lyons Relating to the Customs Service¹

      [vol. 1, p. 231. “Réflexions sur les pétitions de Bordeaux, Le Havre et Lyon, concernant les Douanes.” April 1834. n.p.]

      Free trade will probably suffer the fate of all freedoms; it will be introduced into our legislation only after it has taken hold of our minds. For this reason, we should applaud the efforts of the traders in Bordeaux, Le Havre, and Lyons even if the only effect of these efforts in the immediate future is to draw public attention to the matter.

      However, if it is true that a reform has to be generally understood to be firmly established, it follows that nothing can be more disastrous than something that misleads opinion. And nothing is more likely to mislead