Frederic Passy French statesman and politician, lawyer, economist and international mediator, Nobel Peace Prize laureate 1901 Date of Birth: 20.05.1822 Country: France

Biography of Frédéric Passy

Frédéric Passy was a French statesman, politician, lawyer, economist, and international mediator. He was born into a family of civil servants and his uncle, Hippolyte Passy, held high government positions under Louis Philippe and Napoleon III. Frédéric studied law at the University of Paris and later joined the civil service at the age of 22. He eventually left the service to dedicate himself to research in the field of economic theory.

Passy published several specialized works, including "Lessons in Political Economy," "Mechanisms and their Impact on Human Development" (1866), "Malthus and His Doctrine" (1868), and "History of Labor" (1873). He also delivered lectures at the University of Montpellier in 1860-1861. Passy was a staunch advocate of free trade, believing that it brought nations and states together and led to prosperity, disarmament, and universal peace.

In 1877, Passy was elected as a full member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences (Académie des sciences morales et politiques). His belief in the progressive power of education was reflected in books such as "On Intellectual Property" (1859), "On Democracy and Education" (1864), and others.

In addition to his contributions to economics, Passy demonstrated talent in the field of conflict resolution and peace settlement. In 1867, with the support of wide circles of society, he founded the "Permanent International League for Peace" ("Ligue internationale et permanente de la paix") to alleviate tension in Franco-Prussian relations caused by the "Luxembourg Crisis" in 1866. When the league failed due to the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-1871, Passy established the "French Society of Friends of Peace" ("Société française des amis de la paix") in its place.

Passy was not only a theoretician but also a prominent politician. From 1881 to 1889, he served as a deputy in the French parliament's lower house. He strongly condemned the government's colonial policies and authored a bill on disarmament and a resolution proposing the consideration of international disputes in an independent arbitration court, which were presented in the National Assembly. He also worked to amend labor legislation to improve working conditions, particularly in developing a compensation system for workplace accidents.

Passy's activities attracted the interest of American and British parliamentarians. In 1888, British pacifist Randel Cremer led a delegation of British parliamentarians to Paris to meet with a group of French deputies led by Frédéric Passy. They discussed issues related to international arbitration and concluded that it was necessary to prepare public opinion for the development and adoption of relevant legislation. In 1889, parliamentarians from the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and several other countries formed the Inter-Parliamentary Union, with Passy serving as one of its three presidents.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union established headquarters and informal parliamentary groups. The plan was for these groups to lobby their national parliaments for legislative acts related to international mediation and general disarmament. According to Passy's plan for resolving international conflicts, the principles of free trade and mediation were used as means to achieve the ultimate goal of peace. Passy dedicated a significant part of his life to the peace movement and international mediation, earning him the title of the "apostle of peace." He continued to write and lecture until his old age, publishing the monograph "For Peace" ("Pour la paix") in 1909 at the age of 87, which critically reevaluated his role as a peacemaker and international mediator.

Works:
- Passy, Frédéric, "The Advance of the Peace Movement throughout the World," American Monthly Review of Reviews, 17 (February, 1898) 183–188.
- Les Machines et leur influence sur le développement de l'humanité. Paris, Hachette, 1866.
- De la propriété intellectuelle. Études par MM. F. Passy, V. Modeste, et P. Paillottet. Paris, Guillaumin, 1859.
- Pour la paix: Notes et documents. Paris, Charpentier, 1909.