Quote 3) Frederic Bastiat: Cause and effects
Posted on: October 19, 2008
- In: Quotes
- 4 Comments
In the economic sphere an act, a habit, an institution, a law produces not only one effect, but a series of effects. Of these effects, the first alone is immediate; it appears simultaneously with its cause; it is seen. The other effects emerge only subsequently; they are not seen; we are fortunate if we foresee them
ht Kimble.
I have not read any Bastiat – so I have very little to say.
4 Responses to "Quote 3) Frederic Bastiat: Cause and effects"
October 19, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I’ll have to keep that in mind. I’m in the middle of an economic methodology book at the moment – I’ll have a look at the pdf after that 🙂
October 20, 2008 at 11:04 am
Start with the sophisms. They’re like little short stories you can read before bed. 🙂
October 20, 2008 at 11:09 am
“They’re like little short stories you can read before bed”
Sounds just like my sort of reading 🙂
If you can sell ideas in short stories, then I believe the ideas have greater merit
agnitio
cpworthington
dant03
goonix
metrosideros
rauparaha
Robbie Allan
stevedoogue
Matt Nolan
The visible hand in economics 
October 19, 2008 at 2:59 pm
An economist who hasn’t read Bastiat is like …
an architect who’s never studied Frank Lloyd Wright;
an educationalist who’s never heard of Maria Montessori;
a literature professor who’s never read Victor Hugo;
a political studies lecturer who’s never studied John Locke…
I grant you it happens. But it shouldn’t. 🙂
Especially when his ‘Economic Sophisms’ and much else besides is online in PDF form.