The Law

The Law

Product Description

Frederic Bastiats arguments against socialism are as valid today as when first published in 1850. 2 cassettes.
Rate Points :5.0
Binding :Paperback
Label :BN Publishing
Manufacturer :BN Publishing
ProductGroup :Book
Studio :BN Publishing
Publisher :BN Publishing
EAN :9789562913638
Price :$2.99USD
Lowest Price :$2.99USD
Customer ReviewsA quick enlightenment.
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :0
At 66 pages, this is more a pamphlet than a book. But "Wow!," what a wallop. A very succint and direct statement of the purpose of law in society. It changed (simplified) my way of thinking about government. I highly recommend it. A social system based on the premise contained herein would be a great improvement over the current one. A move in that direction would start with a general understanding of what is stated in this book.
Its not expensive a doesnt take long to read. Buy it and read it.

Mike Bloom

The law demystified
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :0
The Law is the basis of all justice and the free market. While this is a presumptous statement, I will stand by it because Bastiat actually dissects all fallacies about Big-Government intervention in the lives and business of private citizens, all in the name of helping society. He goes on to predict the evils that would later convulse worthy nations. His prognosis is as relevant today as it was in his day.
This book is also the first place where economics and politics are clearly put in their correct sequence therefore it should be required reading for all politicians. More importantly, if a sufficient number of individuals in a country were to read this book, theyd throw out 90% of all laws and legislators.
It is a dangerous book.

Hard to believe it was written 150 years ago
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :1
I tend to hop between books I read, having 10 or more in progress at the same time. Therefore, when I hop back to "The Law" for my second reading, I still forget occasionally that this book was written 150 years ago. I will get it confused with books written in 2007 or 2008 (other than the slightly odd grammar), as it deals with the exact same issues which are plaguing our government today.

You will recognize very similar topics to todays government. Read about bailouts for large businesses which are in trouble, when the government should mind its own business. Read how politicians protect their power by calling people "isolationists" (though it is called "individualists" in the book) when they ask for less government interference in foreign affairs.

The thing I enjoyed the most was the crisp line which was drawn for where the government belongs. He says that people have the right to protect their liberty and property. The people also have the right to organize together as a group (IE: government) to more effectively protect their liberty and property. Therefore, "The Law" should be used only as a means to protect liberty and property. The forced liberation of any groups wealth (property) for the benefit of another group is completely against the true purpose of government/law.

I agree with him 100 percent, but...
Rating Point :2 Helpful Point :5
While I agree with Bastiat entirely, the way that he has presented "the classic blueprint for a just society," is exactly why people who lean more towards socialist ideas scoff at those who are for capitalism, economic stability, and most importantly honoring the fundamentals of the need for law: to protect life, liberty, and property.

The first chapter started out wonderfully, articulately and simple. It was accessible and easy to understand and apply. I was excited as I hoped to share this with my husband to allow him to open up to my ideas on politics which are different from his (hes a democrat/socialist).

However, the rest of the book just seemed to be a rant that got more and more impassioned as it went along, which to me seemed to take away from the readers ability to take what he was saying seriously. I was disappointed because even though I agreed with everything he said and thought his applications of his ideas were great, I felt sort of embarrassed about his inability to keep calm in expressing his ideas.

The book is sound, based on sound ideas and should appeal to any libertarian. I nodded a lot as I was reading it. "Yes!" I kept telling myself, "this is definitely true." Unfortunately the truth was told, in this case, in a way that I dont think would be very accessible to the people that Bastiat was intent on reaching. I think a democrat/socialist might mislabel it "too radical" when they really mean, "too impassioned."

It is for that reason, Im sorry to say, I was unable to rate this any higher.

A perfect masterpiece
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :0
Bastiat is one of the greatest. This book is so short, so simple, and so devastatingly effective that it is truly an all-time classic. If you are not a socialist, you should master the simple arguments in this essay and keep them handy for discussions with your socialist friends. If you are a socialist, you should in all intellectual honesty read this book (it can be done in an hour or so) and see if you can answer Bastiats objection to socialism: that anytime the law is used to organize anything other than justice, such as equality or prosperity, it necessarily and inescapably works against justice. His logic is ironclad and uncomplicated. Its a real shame this is no longer part of our cultural consciousness, since it means we are now embarked on a journey of massive, organized, government-supervised injustice. Read this book, give it to your family, give it to your friends, spread the message. You can also download it for free from the von Mises website.

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