The Collected Works of FrÉdÉric Bastiat in Chronological Order

[Updated: 16 November, 2020]

1819-39 | 1840-44 | 1845 | 1846 | 1847 | 1848 | 1849 | 1850 | Posthumous

 

Introduction

For more information about Bastiat and his work see this page and A Reader's Guide to the Works of Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850) (an updated version to come).

On this page we list in chronological order the works of Frédéric Bastiat. This includes his articles, pamphlets, published books, and his correspondence. We provide the date (if known), the title in English and French, its place of original publication, its location in the 7 volume French edition of his "complete works" edited by Paillottet and published by Guillaumin (OC), and its location in the Liberty Fund English translation of his works (CW).

The intention was that such a numbering and identification system would aid scholars in their research by providing a consistent and comprehensive way to cite Bastiat's books and articles.

I provide links to those book I have on this website, as well as links to the Liberty Fund translation of which I am/was the Academic Editor and co-translator.

Highest T. number to date (26 Oct. 2021) = T.321

 

---

 

Table of Contents

Bibliographical Information:

• Sources
• Oeuvres complètes de Frédéric Bastiat
• Additional Letters
• Major Published Books and Pamphlets
• Journal Articles
• Material by Bastiat not included in Paillottet's Edition
• The Liberty Fund Edition of the Collected Works of Frédéric Bastiat
  

A Chronological List of the Works of Frédéric Bastiat (1819-1851)

• Abbreviations
• Method of Citing the Works
• 1819-1839
  
  • Letters: 1819-39
    
  • Books and Articles: 1819-39
    
• 1840-1844
  
  • Letters: 1840-1844
    
  • Books and Articles: 1840-1844
    
• 1845
  
  • Letters: 1845
    
  • Books and Articles: 1845
    
• 1846
  
  • Letters: 1846
    
  • Books and Articles: 1846
    
• 1847
  
  • Letters: 1847
    
  • Books and Articles: 1847
    
• 1848
  
  • Letters: 1848
    
  • Books and Articles: 1848
    
• 1849
  
  • Letters: 1849
    
  • Books and Articles: 1849
    
• 1850
  
  • Letters: 1850
    
  • Books and Articles: 1850
    
• Posthumous
  
  • Letters: Posthumous
    
  • Books and Articles: Posthumous

 

---

 

Sources↩

The main source for this translation is the 7 volume 2nd edition of the Oeuvres complètes de Frédéric Bastiat, edited by Prosper Paillottet and Roger de Fontenay (1862-64) with additional letters drawn from a collection published in 1877, Lettres d’un habitant des Landes, Frédéric Bastiat. (Paris: A. Quantin, 1877). [See below for details]. Paillottet took material from Bastiat's unpublished papers, his published books, and from a number of journals and other publications which are listed below. Bastiat's papers are not accessible to us but wherever possible we have checked Paillottet's edition against the originals. Additional material which was not in Paillottet's edition has been added when we have come across it, such as some letters and journal articles discovered by Jean-Claude Paul-Dejean and transcriptions of speeches discovered by David Hart. These additions have been indicated in the text.

Newspapers and Journals which pubished Bastiat's writings:

• La Chalosse
• La Sentinelle des Pyrenées
• Le Mémorial bordelais
• Le Journal des Landes
• Le Journal des Économistes
• Le Journal des Débats
• Le Courrier français
• Le Libre-Échange
• La République française
• Jacques Bonhomme
• L’Economiste Belge

La Chalosse (1837-38): La Chalosse was a weekly journal published in the town of Saint-Sever to serve the needs of the Arrondissement of Saint-Sever. It appeared between December 1836 and March 1876. Bastiat’s first published piece in the journal was a series on "The Canal beside the Adour” (18 June-20 Aug. 1837). He then published two more in 1838 on "Reflections on the Question of Dueling” (Feb. 1838) and “On the Basque Language” (April, 1838).

La Sentinelle des Pyrenées (1843-44): La Sentinelle des Pyrénées was a paper which appeared 3 times a week and was published in the town of Bayonne between 1831-1848. Bastiat was born in Bayonne in 1801 and had business interests there. He published 9 articles in the paper between March 1843 and August 1844, with his first ever published articles on free trade, "Free Trade. State of the Question in England” appearing in May and June 1843.

Le Journal des Économistes (1844-1851): The Journal of the Société d’économie politique, which appeared from December 1841 until the fall of France, in 1940. It was published by the firm of Guillaumin, which also published the writings of most of the liberals of the period. The Journal des Économistes was the leading journal of the free-market economists (known as “les économistes”) in France in the second half of the nineteenth century. It was edited by Adolphe Blanqui (1841-42), Hippolyte Dussard (1843-45), Joseph Garnier (1845-55), Henri Baudrillart (1855-65), Joseph Garnier (1865-81), Gustave de Molinari (1881-1909), and Yves Guyot (1910-?). Bastiat published many articles in the journal, many of which were later published as pamphlets and books, and his works were all reviewed there. There are fifty-eight entries under Bastiat’s name in the table of contents of the journal for the period 1841 to 1865. I have an extensive collection of the JDE at this website.

Le Mémorial bordelais (1846): The Mémorial bordelais was published between March 1814 and October 1862. It was a daily newspaper published in the city of Bordeaux which covered political, commercial, maritime, and literary matters of interest to the inhabitants of the department of the Gironde. Bastiat was a frequent contributor during 1846 writing a total of 20 articles between February and October. They were designed to appeal to the merchants in the city to support the French Free Trade Association which he co-founded on 23 February 1846. A national association was formed in Paris on 10 May 1846. Bastiat’s first articles in the journal announced a "Plan for an Anti-Protectionist League” (8-10 Feb. 1846).

Le Courrier français (1846): Le Courrier français (1820-1846) was a liberal and anti-clerical newspaper founded by the constitutional monarchist Auguste-Hilarion, comte de Kératry (1769-1859). It was suspended and threatened with legal action several times during the 1820s for its stand against the French intervention in Spain and for criticizing the established church. The banker Jacques Lafitte (1767-1844) supported it financially. It was more popular during the July Monarchy but still remained a small circulation paper and was forced to close in 1846. Hippolyte Castille was a regular contributor. Both Bastiat and Molinari also wrote for it on occasion. Bastiat wrote 10 articles for the journal in its last year of operation between April and November 1846, mainly on free tree issues (including most notably the official Toast given to Richard Cobden for his celebration dinner held in Paris in August 1846 following his successful repeal of the protectionist Corn Laws).

Le Journal des Débats (1846-1848): Journal founded in 1789 by the Bertin family and managed for almost forty years by Louis-François Bertin. The journal underwent several changes of political positions: it was against Napoléon during the First Empire; under the second restoration it became conservative rather than reactionary; and under Charles X it supported the liberal stance espoused by the Doctrinaires. Bastiat wrote 5 articles which appeared in the Journal: 2 letters to the editor in May 1846, a series of letters to Considerant which were late published as a separate pamphlet Property and Plunder (July 1848), a longer version of his essay on “The State” (Sept. 1848), and an essay on cutting the tax on salt in Jan. 1849. It should be noted that Bastiat published the longer version of his famous essay “The State” in the 25 September 1848 issue of the JDD. Gustave de Molinari was an editor in the 1870s.

Le Journal des Landes (1848): The Journal des Landes was a weekly journal published in the town of Mont-de-Marsan which was where the General Council of Les Landes was based. Bastiat was elected to the Council in November 1833. He only wrote one article for this journal “On the Referendum for the Election of the President of the Republic” (Aug. 1848).

Le Libre-Échange (1846-1848): The weekly journal of the Association pour la liberté des échanges. It began on 29 November 1846 and closed on 16 April 1848 as a result of the revolution.The first sixty-four issues were published by Bastiat, the editor in chief, and Joseph Garnier; the last eight issues were published by Charles Coquelin. The journal’s editorial board included Anisson-Dupéron (pair de France), Bastiat, Adolphe Blanqui, Gustave Brunet (assistant to the mayor of Bordeaux), Campan (secretary of the Chamber of Commerce of Bordeaux), Michel Chevalier, Charles Coquelin, Charles Dunoyer, Léon Faucher, Alcide Fonteyraud, Joseph Garnier, Louis Leclerc, Gusgtave de Molinari, Prosper Paillottet, Horace Say, and Louis Wolowski. This is available here in facs. PDF format.

La République française (26 Feb. - 28 March, 1848): Bastiat was involved in two short-lived revolutionary magazines in 1848. The first appeared two days after the revolution broke out in February and was called La République française and the second appeared in June and July and was called Jacques Bonhomme. La République française appeared daily and was edited by Frédéric Bastiat, Hippolyte Castille, and Gustave de Molinari. It appeared in 30 issues between 26 February and 28 March. The format of the magazine was only one or two pages which could be handed out on street corners or pasted to walls so that passers by could read them. The first issue had a statement of the editors' republican views. This is available in facs. PDF here.

Jacques Bonhomme (11 June - 13 July, 1848): Undaunted at the failure of their first effort in February, Molinari and Frédéric Bastiat decided to launch another journal, this time directed squarely at working people, to be called Jacques Bonhomme, which comes from the nickname given to the average working Frenchman. They were joined by Charles Coquelin, Alcide Fonteyraud, and Joseph Garnier. The journal appeared biweekly and was handed out on the streets of Paris but only lasted for four issues between 11 June and 13 July. Shortly after the first issue appeared the June Days uprising (23-26 June) took place. Shortly afterwards they closed down the magazine for reasons of safety. This is available in facs. PDF here.

L’Economiste Belge: While Molinari was in Brussels teaching at the Musée royal de l'industrie belge he also edited his own journal called the Économiste belge (The Belgian Economist). In the pages of this short journal, which was more like a newsletter than anything else as it was only 12 pages long and appeared bi-weekly and then weekly, he promoted the causes of free trade, administrative reform, his idea of labour exchanges, and other matters which came to his attention. The journal appeared between January 1855 and December 1868 when his wife died and he decided to move back to Paris to work as a journalist with the Journal des débats. Molinari published three previously unpublished pieces by Bastiat in his journal: a letter to Jobard on intellectual property rights to inventions in January 1848; a Letter to an Ecclesiastic in March 1848; and “Three Pieces of Advice” (c. 1850) which he would give if he were the President of the Republic. This is available in facs. PDF from here.

 

Oeuvres complètes de Frédéric Bastiat↩

Oeuvres complètes de Frédéric Bastiat, mises en ordre, revues et annotées d’après les manuscrits de l’auteur (Paris: Guillaumin, 1854-55). 6 vols. [Edited by Prosper Paillottet with the assistance of Roger de Fontenay, but they are not credited on the title page.] A listing of the volumes which are available in facsimile PDF format, are as follows:

• Vol. 1: Correspondance et mélanges (1855) [facs. PDF]
• Vol. 2: Le Libre-Échange (1855) [facs. PDF]
• Vol. 3: Cobden et la Ligue ou L’agitation anglaise pour la liberté des échanges (1854) [facs. PDF]
• Vol. 4: Sophismes économiques. Petits pamphlets I (1854) [facs. PDF]
• Vol. 5: Sophismes économiques. Petits pamphlets II (1854) [facs. PDF]
• Vol. 6: Harmonies économiques (1855) [facs. PDF]

Oeuvres complètes de Frédéric Bastiat, mises en ordre, revues et annotées d’après les manuscrits de l’auteur. Deuxième Édition. Ed. Prosper Paillottet and with a "Notice sur la vie et les écrits de Frédéric Bastiat" by Roger de Fontenay. (Paris: Guillaumin, 1862-64).

• Vol. 1: Correspondance et mélanges (1862) - HTML and facs. PDF
• Vol. 2: Le Libre-Échange (1862) - HTML and facs. PDF
• Vol. 3: Cobden et la Ligue ou L’agitation anglaise pour la liberté des échanges (1864) (3rd edition) - HTML and facs. PDF
• Vol. 4: Sophismes économiques. Petits pamphlets I (1863) - HTML and facs. PDF
• Vol. 5: Sophismes économiques. Petits pamphlets II (1863) - in HTML and facs. PDF
• Vol. 6: Harmonies économiques (1864) 5th ed. [facs. PDF] - we alsio have the 1870 6th edtion in HTML and facs. PDF
• Vol. 7: Essais, ébauches, correspondance (1864) - in HTML and facs. PDF

There are about 12 previously unpublished drafts and letters in Paillottet's Oeuvres complètes de Frédéric Bastiat which he inserted in footnotes or included as appendices to other items. We have gathered these hard to find items and included them in our Collected Works, vol. 4 "Miscellaneous Economic Writings."

Oeuvres choisies de Frédéric Bastiat, 3 vols. (Paris: Guillaumin, 1863).

• Vol. 1: Sophismes économiques. Petits pamphlets [facs. PDF];
• vol. 2: Sophismes économiques. Petits pamphlets [facs. PDF];
• vol. 3: Harmonies économiques. [facs. PDF]

Additional Letters↩

Bastiat, Lettres d’un habitant des Landes, Frédéric Bastiat. Edited by Mme Cheuvreux. (Paris: A. Quantin, 1877). Bastiat's letters to Mme Cheuvreux. Unsigned but likely edited by Mme Cheuvreux. French edition of the book online. Letters translated into English and merged with other letters in [CW1]. [facs. PDF]

P. Ronce, Frédéric Bastiat. Sa vie, son oeuvre (Paris: Guillaumin, 1905). Appendix, pp. 277-314; and pieces of 6 previously unpublished letters. [facs. PDF]

 

Major Published Books and Pamphlets↩

The material in the Paillottet edition of the Oeuvres complètes has been checked against the following published books by Bastiat:

Cobden et la ligue, ou l’Agitation anglaise pour la liberté du commerce (Cobden and the League, or the English Movement for Free Trade) (Paris: Guillaumin, 1845). [facs. PDF] [new edition by Institut Coppet]

Sophismes économiques. Première série (Economic Sophisms. First Series) (Paris: Guillaumin, 1846). [facs. PDF]

Sophismes économiques. Deuxième série. (Economic Sophisms. Second Series) (Paris: Guillaumin, 1848). [facs. PDF]

Harmonies économiques (Economic Harmonies) (Paris: Guillaumin, 1850). 1st edition. [facs. PDF]

Gratuité du crédit. Discussion entre M. Fr. Bastiat et M. Proudhon (Free Credit. A Discussion between Mr. Frédéric Bastiat and Proudhon) (Paris: Guillaumin, 1850). [facs. PDF??]

Ce qu'on voit et ce qu'on ne voit pas, ou l'Économie politique en une leçon (What is Seen and What is Not Seen, or Political Economy in One Lesson) (Paris: Guillaumin, 1850). [facs. PDF]

Harmonies économiques. 2me Édition augmentées des manuscrits laissés par l’auteur. Publiée par la Société des amis de Bastiat (Paris: Guillaumin, 1851). 2nd edition. [facs. PDF]

The collection of his Pamphlets marketed by the Guillaumin firm under the name of "Petits Pamphlets" (Little Pamphlets) which were published as separate pamphlets betwen June 1848 and July 1850. These include:

• Propriété et Loi. Justice et Fraternité (Property and Law. Justice and Fraternity) (Paris: Guillaumin, 1848). 81 pp. [facs. PDF]
• Protectionisme et Communisme (Paris: Guillaumin, 1849). pp. 64. [facs. PDF]
• Capital et Rente (Capital and Rent) (Paris: Guillaumin, 1849). 66 pp. [facs. PDF]
• Paix et Liberté, ou le Budget républicain (Peace and Freedom, or the Republcian Budget) (Paris: Guillaumin, 1849). pp. 88. [facs. PDF]
• Incompatibilités parlementaires (Parliamantary Conflicts of Interest) (Paris: Guillaumin, 1849). pp. 72. [facs. PDF]
• L’État. Maudit argent! (The State. Damned Money) (Paris: Guillaumin, 1849). pp. 64. [facs. PDF]
• Baccalauréat et Socialisme (The Baccalaureate and Socialism) (Paris: Guillaumin, 1850). pp. 97. [facs. PDF]
• Spoliation et Loi (Plunder and Law) (Paris: Guillaumin, 1850). pp. 66. [facs. PDF??]
• Propriété et spoliation (Property and Plunder), ed. Prosper Paillottett (Paris: Guillaumin, 1850). 66 pp. [facs. PDF]
• La Loi (The Law) (Paris: Guillaumin, 1850). 80 pp. [facs. PDF]

Journal Articles↩

The articles by Bastiat in the Journal des Économistes can be found listed in the Table alphabétique générale des matières contenues dans les deux premières séries (Années 1841-1865) du Journal des Économistes (Paris: Guillaumin, 1883). My list in HTML. [facs. PDF]

The articles by Bastiat in the magazines he edited (see above for details):

• Le Libre-Échange (Dec. 1846- Feb. 1848) for the French Free Trade Association
• the revolutionary magazine Las République française (Feb.-March 1848) which were identified as his by Paillottet and Molinari. They were unnamed in the original, copies of which are in the possession of David M. Hart.
• the revolutionary magazine Jacques Bonhomme (June 1848) which were identified as his by Paillottet and Molinari. They were unnamed in the original, copies of which are in the possession of David M. Hart.

 

Speeches in the Chamber of Deputies 1848-50↩

Compte rendu des séances de l’Assemblée Nationale Constituante (4 May 1848 - 27 May 1849). 10 vols. Compte rendu des séances de l’Assemblée Nationale. Exposés des motifs et projets de lois présentés par le gouvernement; rapports de Mm. les Représentants (Paris: Imprimerie de l’Assemblée national, 1848-1850). Henceforth CRANC.

Compte rendu des séances de l’Assemblée Nationale Législative (28 May 1849 - 2 December 1852). 17 vols. (28 Mai 1849 - 1 Déc. 1851). Compte rendu des séances de l’Assemblée Nationale Législative. Exposés des motifs et projets de lois présentés par le gouvernement; rapports de Mm. les Représentants (Paris: Imprimerie de l’Assemblée national, 1849-1852). Henceforth CRANL.

Table analytique par ordre alphabétique de matières et de noms de personnes du Compte rendu des séances de l'Assemblée nationale constituante (4 mai 1848 - 27 mai 1849) et des documents imprimés par son ordre. Rédigée aux Archives de l'Assemblée nationale (Paris: Henri et Charles Noblet, Imprimeurs de l'Assemblée nationale, 1850). Bastiat’s contributions listed, p. 37.

Table analytique par ordre alphabétique de matières et de noms de personnes du Compte rendu des séances de l'Assemblée nationale législative (28 mai 1849 - 2 décembre 1851) et des documents imprimés par son ordre. Rédigée aux Archives du Corps législatifs (Paris: Henri et Charles Noblet, Imprimeurs de l'Assemblée nationale, 1852). Bastiat’s contributions listed, p. 56.

 

Material by Bastiat not included in Paillottet's Edition↩

"Opinion de M. Frédéric Bastiat" (on "le droit au travail") in Le droit au travail à l'Assemblée nationale. Recueil complet de tous les discours prononcés dans cette mémorable discussion par MM. Fresneau, Hubert Delisle, Cazalès, Gaulthier de Rumilly, Pelletier, A. de Tocqueville, Ledru-Rolin, Duvergier de Hauranne, Crémieux, M. Barthe, Gaslonde, de Luppé, Arnaud (de l'Ariège), Thiers, Considerant, Bouhier de l'Ecluse, Martin-Bernard, Billault, Dufaure, Goudchaux, et Lagrange (texts revue par les orateurs), suivis de l'opinion de MM. Marrast, Proudhon, Louis Blanc, Ed. Laboulaye et Cormenin; avec des observations inédites par MM. Léon Faucher, Wolowski, Fréd. Bastiat, de Parieu, et une introduction et des notes par M. Joseph Garnier (Paris : Guillaumin, 1848), pp. 373-376. [facs. PDF]

The first publication of articles "On Population" and "On Competition" in the Encyclopédie du 19e Siècle (1846).

Speech to the Second General Peace Congress in Paris 22-24 Aug., 1849 which we have entitled the speech "Disarmament, Taxes, and the Influence of Political Economy on the Peace Movement," in:

• [longer English version] in Report of the Proceedings of the Second General Peace Congress, held in Paris, on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th of Aug., 1849. Compiled from Authentic Documents, under the Superintendence of the Peace Congress Committee. (London: Charles Gilpin, 5, Bishopsgate Street Without, 1849), pp. 49-52. [facs. PDF??]
• [shorter French language version] in Joseph Garnier, Congrès des amis de la paix universelle réuni à Paris en 1849; (bibliographic info??) [facs. PDF]

Items discovered by Jean-Claude Paul-Dejean and in his possession:

• "Two More Articles on Postal Reform II" (no date)
• "Letter to an unidentified Friend in Defence of a Refugee" (Lette à un ami non identifié pour la défense d’un refugié) (1835.09)
• "The Canal beside the Adour" (Canal latéral à l'Adour) (1837)
• "Two Articles on the Basque Language" (La Chalosse, 1-8 April 1838)
• "Parliamentary Conflicts of Interest" (Sentinelle des Pyrenées, 21 and 25 March 1843)
• Three Articles on "Free Trade" in La Sentinelle des Pyrénées (May/June 1843)
• "Proposition for the Creation of a School for Sons of Sharecroppers" (Paper presented to Chamber of Agriculture of the Landes) (1844)

Transcriptions of Bastiat's remarks at meetings of the Political Economy Society can be found in the "Chronique" section of the Journal des Économistes as well as in the Annales de la Société d’Économie Politique (1889):

• Annales de la Société d’Économie Politique. Publiées sous la direction de Alph. Courtois fils, secrétaire perpétuel, Tome premier 1846-1853 (Paris: Guillaumin,1889). [facs. PDF]

P. Ronce, Frédéric Bastiat. Sa vie, son oeuvre (Paris: Guillaumin, 1905). Appendices, pp. 277-314; and pieces of 6 previously unpublished letters. [facs. PDF]

 

The Liberty Fund Edition of the Collected Works of Frédéric Bastiat↩

The Collected Works of Frédéric Bastiat, translated from the French by Jane and Michel Willems. General Editor, Jacques de Guenin. Translation editor Dennis O’Keeffe. Academic Editor, David M. Hart (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2011-).

• Vol. 1: The Man and the Statesman: The Correspondence and Articles on Politics, translated from the French by Jane and Michel Willems, with an introduction by Jacques de Guenin and Jean-Claude Paul-Dejean. Annotations and Glossaries by Jacques de Guenin, Jean-Claude Paul-Dejean, and David M. Hart. Translation editor Dennis O’Keeffe (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2011). <http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/2393>.
• Vol. 2: The Law, The State, and Other Political Writings, 1843-1850, Jacques de Guenin, General Editor. Translated from the French by Jane Willems and Michel Willems, with an introduction by Pascal Salin. Annotations and Glossaries by Jacques de Guenin, Jean-Claude Paul-Dejean, and David M. Hart. Translation Editor Dennis O’Keeffe. Academic Editor, David M. Hart (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2012). <http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/2450>.
• Vol. 3: Economic Sophisms and "What is Seen and What is Not Seen." Introduction by David M. Hart [forthcoming]
• Vol. 4: Miscellaneous Works on Economics: From "Jacques-Bonhomme" to Le Journal des Économistes.Introduction by Jörg Guido Hülsmann.[forthcoming]
• Vol. 5: Economic Harmonies. Introduction by Donald Boudreaux. [forthcoming]
• Vol. 6: The Struggle Against Protectionism: The English and French Free-Trade Movements. Introductions by Steven Davies and David M. Hart. [forthcoming]

 

---

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

---

 

 

---

 

 

---

 

 

---

 

 

---

 

 

---

 

---