Portal:Libertarianism/Selected biography/2

Claude-Frédéric Bastiat was a French economist and author who was a prominent member of the French Liberal School.

Bastiat developed the economic concept of opportunity cost and introduced the parable of the broken window. He was also a Freemason and member of the French National Assembly.

As a strong advocate of classical liberalism and the economics of Adam Smith, his views favouring free trade and opposing protectionism provided a basis for libertarian capitalism and the Austrian School.