The Law

A response to and expansion upon John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, Frederic Bastiat’s The Law is an exploration of the economic implications of freedom. Deeply concerned with the distinction between legality and legitimacy, Bastiat analyzes both concepts in his examination of the law’s rightful role in society. Bastiat examines various traits and tendencies of government and the inherent dangers of allowing the government to legalize suppression of individual rights. The Law proposes that legal intervention be limited by the concept of justice alone. Bastiat’s perspectives on the harnessing of government have continued to influence social, economic, and political philosophy.