Liberty, Property, Democracy, Equality
2011 оны 8 сарын 24Liberty
It is, first and foremost, freedom from slavery. Liberty also encompasses freedom to choose a religion, to express ideas and opinions, to assemble peacefully, to form or join an association, to move or reside in one’s home country, to leave and return to one’s own country.
Property
Individuals have the right to own property alone as well as in association with others, and the state cannot take it away arbitrarily. The right to ownership of private property is essential to the improvement in the standard of living of the individual and hence to the prosperity of the national economy.
Democracy
The will of the people is the basis for a democratic government in which citizens can participate in the national or state government, either directly or through elected representatives. In a democracy, people have the right to vote and to run for political office, to form a political party or movement, to campaign and to stage or join a protest.
Equality
This concept guarantees non-discrimination and equal treatment before the law. They include the rights to seek legal protection and to defend oneself in a court.
Frederic Bastiat was a liberal member of the National Assembly during the 1848 Revolution as well as head of the French Free Trade Association. Together with Victor Hugo, he founded an international peace organization. Political scientist Josef Schumpeter described him as “the most brilliant economic journalist who ever lived”. Bastiat made some remarkable contribution to the field of economic theory. He resolutely and successfully attacked the pessimism of the English “classical economists” such as Ricardo and Malthus who believed it was impossible to improve the living conditions of blue-collar workers beyond the level of mere subsistence.
