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astiat

Frédéric Bastiat (1801–1850) was a French economist, writer, and advocate of classical liberalism. He is best known for defending free markets, limited government, and the rule of law, and for presenting economic ideas in accessible essays and pamphlets.

Bastiat produced a prolific body of work that challenged protectionism, state subsidy programs, and socialist proposals.

Bastiat argued against tariffs and other interventionist measures, emphasizing the spontaneous order of voluntary exchange and

Influence and legacy: Bastiat's writings helped shape 19th‑century and later liberal thought, influencing debates on property

His
writings
often
used
short
allegories
and
parables
to
illustrate
economic
principles
and
the
unintended
consequences
of
policy.
Among
his
most
cited
works
are
That
Which
Is
Seen,
and
That
Which
Is
Not
Seen,
where
he
argued
that
the
visible
effects
of
a
policy
are
only
a
part
of
its
impact,
while
the
unseen
consequences
reformulate
the
overall
outcome;
The
Law,
a
compact
tract
arguing
that
law
should
protect
natural
rights
and
private
property
without
becoming
a
tool
of
confiscation
or
redistribution;
and
the
collection
Les
Sophismes
économiques
(Economic
Sophisms),
which
critiques
common
fallacies
about
trade
and
wealth.
He
also
produced
Harmonies
économiques
(Economic
Harmonies),
which
he
presented
as
an
accessible
synthesis
of
economic
thinking.
the
dangers
of
government
privilege.
His
method
combined
moral
philosophy
with
practical
examples,
including
the
famous
broken-window
parable
used
to
illustrate
the
misallocation
of
resources
under
protectionist
or
redistributive
policies.
rights,
the
role
of
the
state,
and
the
limits
of
government
power.
His
emphasis
on
liberty
of
contract,
economic
liberty,
and
the
critique
of
artificial
authorities
remains
a
staple
reference
in
discussions
of
classical
liberalism
and
free-market
economics.