A Famous Name and an Evil Idea

by Frédéric Bastiat

　　Now listen to the great Montesquieu on this same subject:

　　 "To maintain the spirit of commerce, it is necessary thatall the laws must favor it. These laws, by proportionately dividingup the fortunes as they are made in commerce, should provide everypoor citizen with sufficiently easy circumstances to enable him towork like the others. These same laws should put every rich citizenin such lowered circumstances as to force him to work in order tokeep or to gain."

　　Thus the laws are to dispose of all fortunes!

　　Although real equality is the soul of the state in a democracy,yet this is so difficult to establish that an extreme precision inthis matter would not always be desirable. It is sufficient thatthere be established a census to reduce or fix these differences inwealth within a certain limit. After this is done, it remains forspecific laws to equalize inequality by imposing burdens upon therich and granting relief to the poor.

　　Here again we find the idea of equalizing fortunes by law, byforce.

　　In Greece, there were two kinds of republics, One, Sparta, wasmilitary; the other, Athens, was commercial. In the former, it wasdesired that the citizens be idle; in the latter, love of labor wasencouraged.

　　Note the marvelous genius of these legislators: By debasing allestablished customs -- by mixing the usual concepts of all virtues --they knew in advance that the world would admire their wisdom.

　　Lycurgus gave stability to his city of Sparta by combining pettythievery with the soul of justice; by combining the most completebondage with the most extreme liberty; by combining the most atrociousbeliefs with the greatest moderation. He appeared to deprive his cityof all its resources, arts, commerce, money, and defenses. In Sparta,ambition went without the hope of material reward. Natural affectionfound no outlet because a man was neither son, husband, nor father.Even chastity was no longer considered becoming. By this road,Lycurgus led Sparta on to greatness and glory.

　　This boldness which was to be found in the institutions of Greecehas been repeated in the midst of the degeneracy and corruption of ourmodern times. An occasional honest legislator has molded a people inwhom integrity appears as natural as courage in the Spartans.

　　Mr. William Penn, for example, is a true Lycurgus. Even thoughMr. Penn had peace as his objective -- while Lycurgus had war as hisobjective -- they resemble each other in that their moral prestigeover free men allowed them to overcome prejudices, to subdue passions,and to lead their respective peoples into new paths.

　　The country of Paraguay furnishes us with another example [of apeople who, for their own good, are molded by their legislators].*

　　 *Translator's note: What was then known as Paraguay was amuch larger area than it is today. It was colonized by the Jesuitswho settled the Indians into villages, and generally saved them fromfurther brutalities by the avid conquerors.

　　Now it is true that if one considers the sheer pleasure ofcommanding to be the greatest joy in life, he contemplates a crimeagainst society; it will, however, always be a noble ideal to governmen in a manner that will make them happier.

　　Those who desire to establish similar institutions must do asfollows: Establish common ownership of property as in the republic ofPlato; revere the gods as Plato commanded; prevent foreigners frommingling with the people, in order to preserve the customs; let thestate, instead of the citizens, establish commerce. The legislatorsshould supply arts instead of luxuries; they should satisfy needsinstead of desires.