Property and Plunder

by Frédéric Bastiat

　　Man can live and satisfy his wants only by ceaseless labor; by theceaseless application of his faculties to natural resources. Thisprocess is the origin of property.

　　But it is also true that a man may live and satisfy his wants byseizing and consuming the products of the labor of others. Thisprocess is the origin of plunder.

　　Now since man is naturally inclined to avoid pain -- and sincelabor is pain in itself -- it follows that men will resort to plunderwhenever plunder is easier than work. History shows this quiteclearly. And under these conditions, neither religion nor moralitycan stop it.

　　When, then, does plunder stop? It stops when it becomes morepainful and more dangerous than labor.

　　It is evident, then, that the proper purpose of law is to use thepower of its collective force to stop this fatal tendency to plunderinstead of to work. All the measures of the law should protectproperty and punish plunder.

　　But, generally, the law is made by one man or one class of men.And since law cannot operate without the sanction and support of adominating force, this force must be entrusted to those who make thelaws.

　　This fact, combined with the fatal tendency that exists in theheart of man to satisfy his wants with the least possible effort,explains the almost universal perversion of the law. Thus it is easyto understand how law, instead of checking injustice, becomes theinvincible weapon of injustice. It is easy to understand why the lawis used by the legislator to destroy in varying degrees among the restof the people, their personal independence by slavery, their libertyby oppression, and their property by plunder. This is done for thebenefit of the person who makes the law, and in proportion to thepower that he holds.