The Bare Essentials

This is a short collection of brief works, aimed at bringing the reader up-to-speed with libertarian thought in a minimal time period. (Some of these are also repeated on other resource pages.)

I, Pencil, by Leonard Read – This short essay explains, from the viewpoint of an ordinary #2 pencil, exactly how vast, complex and wondrous our free economy is. What Carl Sagan did for the cosmos, Leonard Read does for free markets. From Econlib.org

The Law, by Frederic Bastiat – Written in 1850, this classic is as relevant to day as it was during the third French Revolution. Bastiat’s famous essay explains the nature of law and Rule of Law, and details how the law can be perverted to violate the rights of man, particularly through “legal plunder.” From FEE.org

What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen, by Frederic Bastiat – This chapter from Economic Sophisms highlights the importance of considering the broader consequences of an action, including not only what has happened but what could have happened otherwise.From Econlib.org

The Candlestick Makers’ Petition, by Frederic Bastiat – In the style of Jonathan Swift’s Modest Proposal, Bastiat dismantles the fallacies surrounding protectionism through a corporate petition to outlaw sunlight. From Bastiat.org