From The Bastiat Collection — surrounding passage

A

“Oh, sublime writers! Please remember sometimes that this clay, this sand, and this manure which you so arbitrarily dispose of, are men! They are your equals! They are intelligent and free human beings like yourselves! As you have, they too have received from God the faculty to observe, to plan ahead, to think, and to judge for themselves!”

The subject had then intrinsic value anterior to the bestowal of labor upon it. That could only come from nature. The action of nature is not then gratuitous, according to this showing; but in that case, who can have the audacity to exact payment for this portion of superhuman value?