A sign marking the Rue Frédéric Bastiat in the 8ème Arondissement, Paris. Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850), a French gentleman of independent means, was inspired to study economics by Richard Cobden’s campaign in England for The Repeal of the Corn Laws. Relying on the insights of Scottish economist Adam Smith (1723-1790), Bastiat wrote a series of essays on free market economics which made complex ideas easy to grasp; his Parable of the Broken Window and his Petition of the Candlemakers (demanding that State protect them from the sun’s unfair competition) are perhaps the best known examples. Bastiat himself inspired two of the twentieth century’s greatest defenders of economic and social liberty, F. J. Hayek (1899-1992) and Milton Friedman (1912-2006).
BUT if you come to the conclusion, as is too often the case, that it is a good thing to break windows, that it causes money to circulate, and that the encouragement of industry in general will be the result of it, you will oblige me to call out, “Stop there! your theory is confined to that which is seen; it takes no account of that which is not seen.”
It is not seen that as our shopkeeper has spent six francs upon one thing, he cannot spend them upon another. It is not seen that if he had not had a window to replace, he would, perhaps, have replaced his old shoes, or added another book to his library. In short, he would have employed his six francs in some way, which this accident has prevented.
The window being broken, the glazier’s trade is encouraged to the amount of six francs: this is that which is seen. If the window had not been broken, the shoemaker’s trade (or some other) would have been encouraged to the amount of six francs: this is that which is not seen.
James B. himself spends six francs, and has neither more nor less than he had before, the enjoyment of a window.
From ‘Essays on Political Economy’ (1850, 1874), by Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850).
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Précis
No, Bastiat replied, broken windows are not an opportunity gained, but an opportunity lost. While the glazier has done well, the shopkeeper will now not be able to use his six francs to boost the profits of any other local tradesman; and as for the shopkeeper himself, he is down six francs and has gained nothing at all. (58 / 60 words)
No, Bastiat replied, broken windows are not an opportunity gained, but an opportunity lost. While the glazier has done well, the shopkeeper will now not be able to use his six francs to boost the profits of any other local tradesman; and as for the shopkeeper himself, he is down six francs and has gained nothing at all.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: besides, just, may, must, otherwise, unless, until, who.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Reason. Repair. Result.
2 Never. Simple. There.
3 Broken. Call. Live.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Best.
2.
Blessing.
3.
Blow.
4.
Care.
5.
Consent.
6.
Encourage.
7.
Great.
8.
Simple.
9.
Stop.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding im-.
Subject and Object Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in two sentences, first as the subject of a verb, and then as the object of a verb. It doesn’t have to be the same verb: some verbs can’t be paired with an object (e.g. arrive, happen), so watch out for these.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Library. 2. Trade. 3. Hand. 4. Form. 5. Way. 6. Book. 7. Shoe. 8. Result. 9. General.
Variations: 1.use your noun in the plural (e.g. cat → cats), if possible. 2.give one of your sentences a future aspect (e.g. will, going to). 3.write sentences using negatives such as not, neither, nobody and never.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
mntng (5)
amounting. emanating. minting. minuting. mounting.
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