Economic Sophisms

By Frédéric Bastiat and M. Frederic Bastiat

Book Overview

Fr d ric Bastiat's "Economic Sophisms" is a powerful and accessible critique of protectionism and a compelling defense of free trade. First published in the mid-19th century, this collection of essays dismantles common fallacies surrounding economic policy, exposing the hidden costs of tariffs and other trade barriers. Bastiat's clear and engaging writing style makes complex economic concepts understandable for a broad audience.

With insightful analysis and memorable examples, Bastiat champions the benefits of open markets and voluntary exchange. "Economic Sophisms" remains relevant today, offering timeless lessons on the importance of sound economic reasoning and the dangers of government intervention in the marketplace. This meticulously prepared edition ensures that Bastiat's vital arguments continue to inform and enlighten readers interested in economics, free enterprise, and the principles of sound public policy.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1023394871
• ISBN13: 9781023394871
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: Anson Street Press
• Length: 234 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A Classic Primer

This book is 150 years old, and yet many people do not understand its lessons even though it is easy and fun to read. It is fitting that my 1964 FEE edition of this book has an introduction by Henry Hazlitt. Hazlitt's "Economics in One Lesson" is more analytical and less humorous than "Economic Sophisms" but the two are classics in introductory economics. Bastiat's starting point is that desirable economic decisions come from viewing voluntary exchange through the consumer's eyes rather than through the producer's. For example, the "negative railway" highlights the fallacy of adding barriers to productivity in order to increase the costs of transportation. By breaking the tracks from France to Spain, the City of Orleans and its hotels, boatmen, and porters benefit since goods need to unloaded and moved to a new train and passengers are made to disembark. This looks good for producers but terrible for consumers. Especially since following this logic would mean that every city along the tracks should also tear down the rails! The genius of this book is that Bastiat does not need lengthy discussions of externalities and production frontiers to get his point across. Through the simple illustrations, the reader learns these concepts anyway even without being formally introduced to them.

Opponents of Logic Beware

Bastiat does some gentle and not so gentle poking fun at the Trade Luddites of his era. His defense of free trade is no less relevant today. In fact, with the nonsense we are hearing about trade from political and activist quarters - it is probably even more important today.

An outstanding source in "common sense" economics.

This is a book that I first read about fifteen years ago, and the wonderful stories provide vivid examples for evaluating, or countering, "new" economic ideas with common sense historical, or allegorical, counterparts.Protectionists, beware - this book will change you forever.