--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is easy to conceive that, according to…" description: "\"“It is easy to conceive that, according to the power of the legislator, it destroys for its own profit, and in different degrees, amongst the rest of t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/563/frederic-bastiat-2151_freedom_it-is-easy-to-conceive-that-according-to_1224996.png" --- # It is easy to conceive that, according to the power of the… ![“It is easy to conceive that, according to the power of the legislator, it destroys for its own profit, and in different degrees, amongst the rest of the community, personal independence by slavery, liberty by oppression, and property by plunder. It” quote by Frédéric Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/563/frederic-bastiat-2151_freedom_it-is-easy-to-conceive-that-according-to_1224996.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/563/frederic-bastiat-2151_freedom_it-is-easy-to-conceive-that-according-to_1224996.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/563/frederic-bastiat-2151_freedom_it-is-easy-to-conceive-that-according-to_1224996.png) > ““It is easy to conceive that, according to the power of the legislator, it destroys for its own profit, and in different degrees, amongst the rest of the community, personal independence by slavery, liberty by oppression, and property by plunder. It”” [Frédéric Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The legislator’s power can turn liberty into oppression, turning personal independence into slavery and property into plunder. **In simple terms:** Power can corrupt liberty and property. Key Takeaway Guard against unchecked authority. Themes politics freedom property law authority corruption Mood cautious critical reflective Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - legislative reform - civil rights activism - public policy analysis - community organizing Key Concepts liberal economics political philosophy rights Questions to Reflect On - How do we ensure laws protect freedom? - What mechanisms prevent legislative overreach? A Different Perspective Even with safeguards, power can still be abused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Personal independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-independence/) ## Related quotes > [It is easy to understand why the law is used by the legislator to destroy in varying degrees among the rest of the people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/it-is-easy-to-understand-why-the-law-is-used-by-the-legislator-to/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [The inconsistency of the institution of domestic slavery with the principles of the Declaration of Independence was seen and lamented . . . no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/the-inconsistency-of-the-institution-of-domestic-slavery-with-the/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [If we are made in some degree for others, yet in a greater are we made for ourselves. It were contrary to feeling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/if-we-are-made-in-some-degree-for-others-yet-in-a-greater-are-we-made-2/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Happiness, whether in despotism or democracy, whether in slavery or liberty, can never be found without virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/happiness-whether-in-despotism-or-democracy-whether-in-slavery-or/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [Every tax, however, is to the person who pays it a badge, not of slavery but of liberty. It denotes that he is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/every-tax-however-is-to-the-person-who-pays-it-a-badge-not-of-slavery/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [For stories teach us, that liberty sought out of season, in a corrupt and degenerate age, brought Rome itself to a farther slavery: for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/for-stories-teach-us-that-liberty-sought-out-of-season-in-a-corrupt/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Where Slavery is, there Liberty cannot be; and where Liberty is, there Slavery cannot be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sukarno/where-slavery-is-there-liberty-cannot-be-and-where-liberty-is-there/) [Sukarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sukarno/) > [“People continue to deploy the same justification of market society—that it would secure the personal independence of workers from arbitrary authority—long after it failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-s-anderson/people-continue-to-deploy-the-same-justification-of-market-society/) Elizabeth S. Anderson > [“Democracy extends the sphere of personal independence; socialism confines it. Democracy values each man at his highest; socialism makes of each man an agent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/democracy-extends-the-sphere-of-personal-independence-socialism/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [“Lucitta knew Russian politics, and discussed how Trotsky was compelled by Stalin’s régime to deny many of his beliefs. It seemed that Mella, believing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-the-exciting-story-of-cuba/lucitta-knew-russian-politics-and-discussed-how-trotsky-was-compelled/) [Captain Hank Bracker, The Exciting Story of Cuba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-the-exciting-story-of-cuba/) > [People seem to think that life began with the achievement of personal independence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-anthony/people-seem-to-think-that-life-began-with-the-achievement-of-personal/) [Katharine Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-anthony/) > [“It is clear that each party to this dispute—as to all that persist through long periods of time—is partly right and partly wrong. Social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/it-is-clear-that-each-party-to-this-dispute-as-to-all-that-persist/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [Liberty and personal independence in America are still a concept some here have never known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-longenecker/liberty-and-personal-independence-in-america-are-still-a-concept-some/) [John Longenecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-longenecker/) > [The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, an almost fanatical love of justice and the desire for personal independence -- these are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-pursuit-of-knowledge-for-its-own-sake-an-almost-fanatical-love-of/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Culture implies all which gives the mind possession of its own powers, as languages to the critic, telescope to the astronomer. Culture alters the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/culture-implies-all-which-gives-the-mind-possession-of-its-own-powers/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by Frédéric Bastiat > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [The law is the collective organization of the individual's right to lawful defense of his life, liberty and property. When it is used for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-law-is-the-collective-organization-of-the-individual-s-right-to/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [If every person has the right to defend - even by force - his person, his liberty, and his property, then it follows that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/if-every-person-has-the-right-to-defend-even-by-force-his-person-his/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [Sometimes the law defends plunder and participates in it. Sometimes the law places the whole apparatus of judges, police, prisons and gendarmes at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/sometimes-the-law-defends-plunder-and-participates-in-it-sometimes/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [Slavery, protection, and monopoly find defenders, not only in those who profit by them, but in those who suffer by them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/slavery-protection-and-monopoly-find-defenders-not-only-in-those-who/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [Often the masses are plundered and do not know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/often-the-masses-are-plundered-and-do-not-know-it/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [Here I encounter the most popular fallacy of our times. It is not considered sufficient that the law should guarantee to every citizen the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/here-i-encounter-the-most-popular-fallacy-of-our-times-it-is-not/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [The state is the great fictitious entity by which everyone seeks to live at the expense of everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-state-is-the-great-fictitious-entity-by-which-everyone-seeks-to/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [There is in all of a strong disposition to believe that anything lawful is also legitimate. This belief is so widespread that many persons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/there-is-in-all-of-a-strong-disposition-to-believe-that-anything/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [I believe that my theory is correct; for whatever be the question upon which I am arguing, whether it be religious, philosophical, political, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/i-believe-that-my-theory-is-correct-for-whatever-be-the-question-upon/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [The balance of trade is an article of faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-balance-of-trade-is-an-article-of-faith/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [There are people who think that plunder loses all its immorality as soon as it becomes legal. Personally, I cannot imagine a more alarming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/there-are-people-who-think-that-plunder-loses-all-its-immorality-as/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“And now, after having vainly inflicted upon the social body so many systems, let them end where they ought to have begun—reject all systems,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/and-now-after-having-vainly-inflicted-upon-the-social-body-so-many/) [Frédéric Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [When misguided public opinion honors what is despicable and despises what is honorable, punishes virtue and rewards vice, encourages what is harmful and discourages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/when-misguided-public-opinion-honors-what-is-despicable-and-despises/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [There is only one difference between a bad economist and a good one: the bad economist confines himself to the visible effect; the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/there-is-only-one-difference-between-a-bad-economist-and-a-good-one/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) [Explore all 182 Frédéric Bastiat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) ## More Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“No one was more surprised than I to realize that my newfound freedom had been purchased by giving up on eternity and settling for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jessop/no-one-was-more-surprised-than-i-to-realize-that-my-newfound-freedom/) [Carolyn Jessop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jessop/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [I don't want to be famous famous. I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) [Browse all 30,110 Freedom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is easy to conceive that, according to the power of the legislator, it destroys for its own profit, and in different degrees, amongst the rest of the community, personal independence by slavery, liberty by oppression, and property by plunder. It”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frédéric Bastiat" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/it-is-easy-to-conceive-that-according-to-the-power-of-the-legislator/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Freedom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/it-is-easy-to-conceive-that-according-to-the-power-of-the-legislator/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/563/frederic-bastiat-2151_freedom_it-is-easy-to-conceive-that-according-to_1224996.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/563/frederic-bastiat-2151_freedom_it-is-easy-to-conceive-that-according-to_1224996.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/563/frederic-bastiat-2151_freedom_it-is-easy-to-conceive-that-according-to_1224996.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is easy to conceive that, according to the power of the legislator, it destroys for its own profit, and…” — Frédéric Bastiat", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Frédéric Bastiat", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is easy to conceive that,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/it-is-easy-to-conceive-that-according-to-the-power-of-the-legislator/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/it-is-easy-to-conceive-that-according-to-the-power-of-the-legislator/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```