We hold from God the gift which
includes all others. This gift is life -- physical, intellectual, and
moral life.

But life cannot maintain itself alone.
The Creator of life has entrusted us with the responsibility of
preserving, developing, and perfecting it. In order that we may
accomplish this, He has provided us with a collection of marvelous
faculties. And He has put us in the midst of a variety of natural
resources. By the application of our faculties to these natural
resources we convert them into products, and use them. This process
is necessary in order that life may run its appointed course.

Life, faculties, production--in other
words, individuality, liberty, property -- this is man. And in spite
of the cunning of artful political leaders, these three gifts from
God precede all human legislation, and are superior to it.

Life, liberty, and property do not
exist because men have made laws. On the contrary, it was the fact
that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused men
to make laws in the first place.


Frederic Bastiat