French Rev SOAPSS

Bourgeois Disdain for Special Privileges of the Aristocracy by Emmanuel Sieyes (pp. 100-101)

Phase: Early Revolution

  • Publications: Sieyes published influential pamphlets like "What Is the Third Estate?" arguing against the privileges of the nobility. He famously declared, "What is the Third Estate? Everything. What has it been? Nothing. What does it want to be? Something."

  • Key Assertions:

    • The Third Estate (common citizens) is everything and has historically been nothing politically. This stark contrast highlighted the disenfranchisement of common citizens.

    • Sieyes emphasized the necessity of recognizing the political authority derived from the people, stating that political power should not be concentrated in privileged estates.

    • He criticized how privileges degraded meritocracy and limited the ability of the Third Estate to contribute to governance, arguing that the nobility's special rights distanced them from the common populace.

  • Three Essential Questions:

    • What is the Third Estate?: "Everything."

    • What has it been?: "Nothing."

    • What does it want to be?: "Something."

  • Sieyes on Government and Nobility:

    • Government and Class: Sieyes asserted that when a government becomes property of a separate class, it becomes disconnected from the governed, becoming bloated and serving its own interests.

    • Effectiveness of the Third Estate: He claimed, "Without the privileged order, the nation will thrive," emphasizing that the Third Estate encapsulated all vital components for a prosperous nation.

    • Nobility's Burden: He argued that the privileges afforded to the nobility served to undermine national unity, distancing them from common citizens.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizens (pp. 104-106)

Phase: Early Revolution

  • Adopted in August 1789: The National Assembly proclaimed that political authority derives from the people. The declaration asserted, "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights."

  • Universal Ideals: This monumental declaration positioned itself against the absolute monarchy and aristocratic privilege, signaling a significant shift toward modern governance.

  • Key Principles:

    • All men are born free and equal in rights.

    • Preservation of natural rights serves as a fundamental purpose of government, ensuring liberty, property, and security.

    • Sovereignty originates from the nation, with laws required to protect citizens' rights equally, establishing a new legal foundation for French governance.

Republic of Virtue by Maximilien Robespierre (pp. 114-116)

Phase: Radical Revolution

  • Maximilien Robespierre: A leading figure during the Reign of Terror, he advocated for democracy entwined with virtue, famously stating, "Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, austere, inflexible."

  • Political Vision: Robespierre envisioned a society driven by civic duty, where the virtues of the republic replaced the vices of the monarchy. He sought a transformed society where morality governed state conduct.

  • Terror as a Necessary Tool: He contended that during revolutionary times, both virtue and terror were essential for governance, claiming that terror would help defend the ideals of liberty and equality against enemies.

  • Summary of Robespierre's Justifications:

    • Democratic Principles: He emphasized that civic virtue was paramount in governing the populace, and terror was justified against those threatening the revolutionary ideals.

    • Civic Responsibility: He posited that citizens had a duty to act for the republic's defense, reinforcing the notion that participation in governance carried the weight of responsibility for equality and liberty.

Uprising in the Vendee by General Louis de Lignieres Turreau (pp. 118)

Phase: Radical Revolution

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