Frederick Bastiat was a French economist and political philosopher who lived in the nineteenth century and published on various issues including government, law, and economics. In the "Petition of the Manufacturers of Candles, Waxlights, Lamps, Candlelights, Street Lamps, Snuffers, Extinguishers, and Producers of Oil, Tallow, Resin, Alcohol, and Generally, of Everything Connected with Lighting," he criticizes the concept of protectionism, which is the policy of protecting domestic industries by imposing tariffs on imported goods. Bastiat investigates the nature of government and law in the articles "Government" and "The Law," arguing for a limited government that safeguards individual rights and liberties.
In his satirical "Petition of the Manufacturers of Candles, Waxlights, Lamps, Candlelights, Street Lamps, Snuffers, Extinguishers, and Producers of Oil, Tallow, Resin, Alcohol, and Generally, of Everything Connected with Lighting," Bastiat mocks the concept of protectionism. "We are suffering from destructive rivalry from a foreign opponent who works under conditions for the creation of light so far superior to our own that he is flooding the home market with it at a low price," he says (Bastiat, 2011, p.227). Bastiat contends that protectionism benefits just a small group of people, in this example, candle producers, while harming the rest of society. He claims that if the government prohibits the import of candles, the only outcome would be that consumers would have to pay more for the same product, leaving them with less money to spend on other items. Historically, protectionism resulted in a general fall in the level of living.
Bastiat argues in "Government" that the objective of the law is to defend individual rights. "The law is the organization of the natural right of legitimate defense," he says (Bastiat, 2011, p. 49). According to Bastiat, the government's job is to preserve individuals' rights, not to use the law to impose its will on the people. He believes that a just law has a limited scope and purpose and equally protects all persons' rights.
Bastiat argues in "The Law" that the objective of the law is to defend individual rights. "The law is the organization of the natural right of legitimate defense," he says (Bastiat, 2011, p.49). According to Bastiat, the duty of government is to preserve individuals' rights, not to use the law to impose its will on the people. He believes that a just law is one that is restricted in scope and purpose and protects all persons' rights equally.
I agree with Bastiat that the government's duty should be confined to preserving individual liberty and property rights. I also agree with his point that legislation should be neutral and not favor one group over another. Bastiat's notion that legislation should not be used to promote any specific ideology is likewise consistent with my own.
However, I also disagree with Bastiat's assertion that protectionist measures are always detrimental to society. While tariffs might raise the price of products, they can also serve to support domestic sectors and generate employment. Tariffs may be essential in some situations to safeguard domestic industries from foreign competition and to guarantee that they can compete on a level playing field.
Bastiat's views on government and the law are still important today, and his ideas are continually studied and disputed. His belief that government's duty should be limited to preserving individual freedom and property rights is consistent with the beliefs of many modern liberation and classical liberal thinkers.
Finally, Bastiat's views on the function of government and the value of individual liberty remain pertinent today. While I agree with his focus on limited government intrusion and individual liberty, I also realize that there may be times when government action is required to correct market failures and guarantee that all individuals have access to fundamental necessities.
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