Fréderic Bastiat: the urgency of his philosophy in Latin America and beyond

Abstract

The article highlights the enduring relevance of Frédéric Bastiat's ideas in Hispanoamerica. It explains the paradox of the widespread ignorance of Bastiat's work, both in his native France and among Spanish speakers. Despite his significant contributions to philosophical and economic thought, Bastiat's legacy suffered obscurity, hindering the understanding of timeless principles advocating for individual rights, economic freedom, and free trade. Comparisons are drawn between Bastiat's comprehensive economic understanding and the limitations of Marx's perspective, emphasizing Bastiat's contribution to the theory of value and his nuanced view of private property and the market. The article underscores the necessity for Hispanic academic circles to engage with Bastiat's works, promoting translations, analyses, and discussions to counter prevalent economic ignorance and challenge authoritarian doctrines. It also emphasizes the importance of Bastiat's ideas in confronting contemporary economic challenges in Spanish-speaking nations, advocating for rectifying this academic omission to foster economic growth, intellectual enlightenment, and combat the historical legacies of colonial centralism and feudal prejudices.