The Path to Dignity and Progress

by Frédéric Bastiat

　　Law is justice. And it is under the law of justice -- under thereign of right; under the influence of liberty, safety, stability, andresponsibility -- that every person will attain his real worth and thetrue dignity of his being. It is only under this law of justice thatmankind will achieve -- slowly, no doubt, but certainly -- God'sdesign for the orderly and peaceful progress of humanity.

　　It seems to me that this is theoretically right, for whatever thequestion under discussion -- whether religious, philosophical,political, or economic; whether it concerns prosperity, morality,equality, right, justice, progress, responsibility, cooperation,property, labor, trade, capital, wages, taxes, population, finance, orgovernment -- at whatever point on the scientific horizon I begin myresearches, I invariably reach this one conclusion: The solution tothe problems of human relationships is to be found in liberty.