Today is Frédéric Bastiat's 204th birthday (1801-1850). Is there a greater hero of freedom? Bastiat left a rich literature of liberty that is indispensable to this day. The Law remains one of the best ways to introduce the freedom philosophy to novices. Each time I read it I marvel at how fresh it is. The first chapter of his Economic Harmonies is an excellent overview of what the free market and the division of labor make possible. His classic essays, among them"What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen" (which includes his famous fable of the broken window),"A Petition" (in which the candle makers seek government protection from unfair competition by the sun), and"The State" (“the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody”), are unequalled in their ability to teach freedom in a clear and entertaining way.

Fortunately the Liberty Fund has put much of the Bastiat library online. Don't neglect this valuable resource.

If you'll forgive the self-promotion, I've written a biographical/bibliographical essay about Bastiat for the Liberty Fund. It is here.