Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M0042

Candlemakers' Petition

Candlemakers' Petition
BusinessHigh supportPolitical Economy
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

The Candlemakers’ Petition is a satirical parable in Bastiat’s Economic Sophisms: lighting producers ask to block the sun to remove competition from free sunlight. The petitioners make candles and other lighting products; the petition is fictional.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Check whether proposals protecting producers omit consumers’ benefits from inexpensive goods.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Taking the exclusion of low-cost competition to the extreme of excluding sunlight exposes the difference between producer revenue and consumer welfare.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

  • link
    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_BastiatZH · Explicit
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