This is one of my favorite non-fiction books. "The Law" is a clear minded vision of an ideal government, and an address to the modern world of politics. The reading is of the text found at bastiat.org on September 10th, 2012.
The pronunciation has not been checked (especially of the French names, sorry dead French guys!), and I make no guarantees of the accuracy or correctness of this recording. This recording was made without permission of the copyright holders, but in good faith that such a product does not infringe on the owners property rights. It is provided here for free and with no restrictions on use, distribution, or modification, given that the original owners rights are not infringed.
In Mpeg Three (.mp3) format, 108MB
In Ogg Vorbis (.ogg) format, 128MB
If you would like to contact me, I can be reached on twitter: @dudecon or e-mail: dudecon@hotmail.com
My own philosophy of government has followed (in general terms) the arc described and refuted by Bastiat in this lovely little book. When I was young I held the idea that men could be perfected and shaped by a wise ruler. As understanding grew, it became apparent that the only thing a wise ruler can rightly affect (other than himself) is the punishment of injustice. Bastiat here in "The Law" does what Hobbes, Rousseau, and a host of others could not; He captures the core of righteous government, the love of Liberty.
Of course Bastiat can be wrong, but he has a clarity of focus born of long experience in government. That he gives credit to God for creating both man and the world in such a way that Justice is not only sensible, but profitable, is icing on the cake. I hope you all enjoy listening to this audio book as much as I enjoyed making it.
to encourage me to make more of them.
Since I originally uploaded this for my Father, I figured I'd put my 2020 Father's Day improvisation here as well. In Ogg Vorbis (.ogg) format, 11.5MB