Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen: Main Idea
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen: Main Idea
Frenchmen were created equal too, FYI
The people of France help the Americans get their very own brand new form of (non-monarchy centered) government and think, "Wait, why do we still have this lousy king of France?"
So they start a revolution and write the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen outlining the philosophy behind their drive to create some kind of government where (male) citizens can have a voice.
They dream big and list a bunch of stuff they think the French government should be protecting (like security and property) and subtly imply that they current king is doing none of those things. And, oh yeah: this doc borrows super-heavily from American ideas and enlightened thinkers.
Questions
- How does the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen compare and contrast with the important documents of the American Revolution?
- Which of the articles in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen are specifically criticizing the French king?
- Are there rights missing from the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen that might have helped France avoid the difficult periods of its revolution?
Chew On This
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was a colossal failure, which led directly to the Reign of Terror and the coup of Napoleon Bonaparte; it should go down in history as a botched attempt at liberty.
More so than even the American documents it was based on, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen is a watershed moment in human history because it boldly declares that all governments must be accountable to the people.
Quotes
Quote #1
Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good. (1.1-2)
Would social distinctions such as titles of nobility count as for the general good? No? Dang. We wanted to be a marquis…but equality is pretty good, too.
Quote #2
Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. (6.1-3)
Notice that the king is not mentioned as a part of the law-making process. That's on purpose. Law doesn't come from the king anymore it comes from every citizen.
Quote #3
As all persons are held innocent until they shall have been declared guilty, if arrest shall be deemed indispensable, all harshness not essential to the securing of the prisoner's person shall be severely repressed by law. (9.1)
Good right for people to have. No more assuming that everyone who gets arrested is guilty, but it begs the question of who gets to declare guilt. We're betting Robespierre's going to have something to say about that.
Quote #4
No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law. (10.1)
Whoa, it's the right to free speech and the freedom of religion all rolled into one sentence. Those French are succinct.