Economic Sophisms

...the air which we breathe; and yet the realization of his desires would not be at odds with the good of society.

It may be said that if these wishes were granted, the work of the producer would become more and more limited, and would eventually stop for lack of sustenance original: "aliment". But why? Because, in this extreme scenario, all imaginable wants and desires would be fully satisfied. Man, like God original: "Omnipotence", would create all things by a simple act of will. Well, in this hypothesis, what reason would we have to regret the end of industrial production?

I previously proposed the idea of an assembly composed of workers. In this assembly, each member, in his capacity as a producer, would have the power to pass a law embodying his secret wish. I argued that the code of laws which would come from that assembly would be systematized monopoly—the theory of scarcity reduced to practice.

In the same way, a chamber in which everyone consulted exclusively his own immediate interest as a consumer would tend to systematize liberty. It would suppress all restrictive measures and overthrow all artificial barriers—in a word, it would realize the theory of plenty.

Hence it follows:

That to consult exclusively the immediate interest of the producer is to consult an interest which is anti-social;

That to take as a basis exclusively the immediate interest of the consumer would be to take as a basis the general interest.

Let me enlarge on this view of the subject a little, at the risk of being prolix original: "prolix" – wordy or long-winded.

A radical antagonism exists between the seller and the buyer.*

The former desires that the subject of the bargain should be scarce, its supply limited, and its price high.

The latter desires that it should be abundant, its supply large, and its price low.

The laws, which should be at least neutral, take the part of the seller against the buyer, of the producer against the consumer, of dearness against cheapness,† of scarcity against abundance.

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* The author modified the terms of this proposition somewhat in a later original: "posterior" work.—See Economic Harmonies original: "Harmonies Économiques", chapter 11.—EDITOR.

† In French, we do not have a noun original: "substantive" to express the idea opposed to... Bastiat is likely referring to the lack of a single noun for "cheapness" (bon marché) to contrast with "dearness" (cherté) in the French language.