June 30 marks the birthdays of two of the greatest free-market economists: Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850) and Thomas Sowell (1930-). Both thinkers profoundly influenced economic thought by demonstrating that good intentions behind government policies often lead to unintended harmful consequences. Their insights remain essential for understanding the perils of government overreach.
Bastiat's 'The Law' and the Concept of Legal Plunder
In his classic work The Law, Bastiat argued that each individual has a natural right to defend person, liberty, and property. He defined law as “the natural right of lawful defence” and warned of its perversion when governments overreach, destroying rights and justice. One key mechanism he identified is “legal plunder”—government actions that take from some and give to others, which he contrasted with illegal plunder such as theft.
Bastiat wrote: “See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime. Then abolish this law without delay.”
Forms of Legal Plunder and Socialist Fallacies
Bastiat catalogued numerous forms of legal plunder, including slavery, socialism, communism, tariffs, protectionism, subsidies, progressive taxation, public schools, guaranteed jobs, minimum wages, and free credit. His satirical essay “The Petition of the Manufacturers of Candles” famously attacked protectionism. He dedicated much of The Law to refuting socialist ideas, accusing socialists of confusing government with society and opposing education, religion, and equality when opposing state control.
Bastiat wrote: “It is as if the socialists were to accuse us of not wanting persons to eat because we do not want the state to raise grain.” His chapter headings included: The Socialists Wish to Play God, The Socialists Despise Mankind, Socialists Ignore Reason and Facts, Socialists Want to Regiment People, Socialists Want Forced Conformity, Socialists Want Equality of Wealth, The Socialists Want Dictatorship, The Vicious Circle of Socialism, Socialists Fear All Liberties, and The Socialists Reject Free Choice.
Thomas Sowell's Enduring Wisdom
Thomas Sowell, now in his 96th year, has continued contributing ideas despite retiring from his weekly column nearly a decade ago at age 86. The author of more than 40 books, Sowell remains active; in January 2026, the Hoover Institution released an interview where he discussed American education, school choice, and race. Sowell’s work consistently highlights the gap between good intentions and real-world outcomes, reinforcing Bastiat’s warnings about government intervention.
Both economists remind us that liberty—not top-down planning—respects human dignity and produces better results. As Bastiat concluded in The Law: “Try liberty; for liberty is an acknowledgment of faith in God and His works.”
