About Economic Sophisms
What it's about
Short, funny essays that take apart popular arguments against free trade. Bastiat asks whether abundance or scarcity makes us rich, writes a petition from the candlemakers asking parliament to block out the Sun, and imagines a railway made entirely of gaps.
Who it's for
Readers who like satire, anyone following arguments about tariffs and trade wars, and learners who want economics explained with jokes instead of graphs.
- Level
- CEFR B2
- Length
- 3 parts · about 590 words
- Reading time
- about 6 minutes (~2 min per part)
- Author
- Frédéric Bastiat
If you liked this, read
- The Wealth of Nations · B2
- Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds · B2
- The Communist Manifesto · B2
Looking for something easier or harder? See Easy English books by level (A1–B2).
Reading Economic Sophisms in English: quick answers
- What English level is Economic Sophisms on SeoJae Story?
- Economic Sophisms by Frédéric Bastiat is retold in simplified English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate). It is split into 3 short parts, and every sentence has a Korean translation you can show or hide, so a learner at that level can follow the story without a dictionary.
- Is Economic Sophisms hard to read in English?
- The original is written for native readers, with long sentences and older vocabulary, so most learners find it hard. This retelling keeps the story but uses simpler English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate), so if you read English at that level you can follow it, and the Korean translation is there for any line that stops you. If it feels too hard, start with an easier book one level down.
- How long does it take to read Economic Sophisms in simple English?
- About 6 minutes of reading in total — roughly 2 minutes per part across 3 parts. Listening to the audio narration, reviewing the vocabulary and taking each part's comprehension check adds a little more.
- Is this the full, unabridged text of Economic Sophisms?
- No. It is an abridged graded retelling written for English learners that follows the story of the original in 3 parts. Every part also lets you read the matching unabridged chapters from the original, split into short readings.
- Is Economic Sophisms free to read here?
- Yes. All 3 parts are free to read online, with the Korean translation, audio narration, vocabulary flashcards and comprehension questions included.
- Is Economic Sophisms in the public domain?
- Yes. Frédéric Bastiat's Economic Sophisms is in the public domain, and the original text is freely available from Project Gutenberg (eBook #44145). SeoJae Story's simplified retelling and Korean translation are original text written for learners.