What is the law, then? As I have said elsewhere, it is the collective organization of the individual right of legitimate defense.

Frédéric Bastiat
Pamphlets
Section 1 of 9

Six months before passing away, Frédéric Bastiat reverts back to the concept of the law in order to analyse what it should be and what it is factually.

As discussed previously, the term is not really appropriate and one would prefer the term “legislation” that does not ambiguously pretend to be universal. That said, the idea is crystal clear in the definition suggested by Bastiat (today’s quote) whereby he specifies that it is a collective organization.

What is important in his way of seeing things is that legislation should clearly be a tool to protect rights, which therefore forbids to create them. In order to be “fair”, the law should be limited to defend the rights of the person, liberty and property.

Other quotes from The Law:
Section 2 of 9 – Section 3 of 9 – Section 4 of 9 – Section 5 of 9 – Section 6 of 9 – Section 7 of 9 – Section 8 of 9 – Section 9 of 9