Frédéric Bastiat

1801–1850

Nationality: French

Historical Period: The 19th Century

Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850) was one of the leading advocates of free markets and free trade in the mid-19 century. He was inspired by the activities of Richard Cobden and the organization of the Anti-Corn Law League in Britain in the 1840s and tried to mimic their success in France. Bastiat was an elected member of various French political bodies and opposed both protection and the rise of socialist ideas in these forums. His writings for a broader audience were very popular and were quickly translated and republished in the U.S. and throughout Europe. His incomplete magnum opus, Economic Harmonies, is full of insights into the operation of the market and is still of great interest to economists. He died at a young age from cancer of the throat. [The image comes from “The Warren J. Samuels Portrait Collection at Duke University.”]

See the Liberty Matters online discussions on Bastiat and Political Economy and Reassessing Bastiat’s Economic Harmonies After 160 Years

For additional information about Frédéric Bastiat see the following: * in the Forum: Essays on Bastiat * at our sister website Econlib: the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics entry on Bastiat

See Quotes from Frédéric Bastiat:

• Frédéric Bastiat on the state as the great fiction
• Frédéric Bastiat on the nature of war
• Frédéric Bastiat on socialists and the “social machine”
• Frédéric Bastiat on Malthusian theory of the growth of the state
• Frédéric Bastiat on socialism hides its true plunderous nature
• Frédéric Bastiat on the theory of plunder
• Frédéric Bastiat on standing armies vs. local militias

For tables of contents of Bastiat’s Works:

• table of contents of the Guillaumin edition of the Works (in French)
• table of contents of LF’s translation (in English)
• table of contents of LF’s translation (in French)
• chronological list of Bastiat’s works

See the Timeline of the Life and Work of Frédéric Bastiat:

• Expanded and enlarged Timeline Part 1 (1801-1844) 123 KB PDF
• Expanded and enlarged Timeline Part 2 (1844-1850) 82 KB PDF
• JPG (1200 px, 410 KB)
• PDF (45 KB)

Titles from Frédéric Bastiat:

• Author: Armonias Economicas
• Author: The Best of Bastiat
• Author: The Collected Works of Frédéric Bastiat, in 6 Vols.
• Author: Economic Harmonies (FEE ed.)
• Author: Economic Sophisms (FEE ed.)
• Author: The Law (FEE ed.)
• Author: The Law (revised LF ed.)
• Author: Lettres d’un habitant des Landes
• Author: Oeuvres complètes de Frédéric Bastiat, 1st ed. 6 vols.
• Author: Oeuvres complètes de Frédéric Bastiat, 2nd ed. 7 vols.
• Author: Oeuvres complètes de Frédéric Bastiat, 3rd ed. 7 vols
• Author: Selected Essays on Political Economy (FEE ed.)
• Author: The State (revised LF ed.)