Andrew Smeathers
History 319
Professor Hanson
September 22, 2012
The French Revolution and Human Rights; A Brief Documentary History
The French Revolution played a major part in the development human rights
for the French people. It also has helped lead to the thought of a world with common
human rights. The French Revolution continues to impact countries to this day with
different documents from the Revolution. Many documents from this time period
live through the years as timeless pieces, still relevant in today’s ever changing
society. The book The French Revolution and Human Rights; A Brief Documentary
History by Lynn Hunt shows many of the excerpts that made an impact during the
French Revolution and beyond. From the forty documents in this book there are
many that truly exemplify the importance of this revolution.
The first document of importance is Natural Law by Denis Diderot. Diderot
writes the definition of Natural Law in the 1755 Encyclopedia and gives the thought
of a society based only on universal human rights. Natural law reinforces many of
the ideas portrayed in this book. “Natural law provided the most basic foundation
for all human society, that is, it defined what was naturally just for all humans,
regardless of country or time period.” (Hunt, p. 35). This idea is the basis for any
and all revolution whether it is the French Revolution or a present day one.
Knowledge can lead to a great change. In Natural Law it talks about how
knowledge will inevitable lead to enlightenment. When people become educated
they are able to act upon reason and knowledge rather than superstition, bigotry or
religious fanaticism. (Hunt p. 36). The natural law defined in this document is the
same ideas and concepts that the United States believes in today. “Laws should be
made for everyone, and not for one person.” (Hunt p. 37). Natural law has the idea
that no one is handed special privileges for no reason. There should be no kings or
aristocracy because, “in every individual the general will is a pure act of
understanding that reasons in the silence of the passions about what a man can
demand of his fellow man and about what his fellow man has the right to demand of
him.” (Hunt p. 37). Many times kings were self-centered people that only had the
thought of self-improvement. There was hardly a thought of helping the working
class or the Third Estate. This is an impressive idea that was written in 1755. To
have the idea of a society were everyone is on an even playing field with equal
opportunities is far from what France was doing during the time this was written.
The seed was planted now they just needed knowledge to make it grow.
Knowledge is what led to many great articles being written. One of them is by
Abbé Sieyès called, What is the Third Estate? This article is a very straightforward
critique of French political, social and privilege inequalities. According to Sieyès a
nation requires both private employment and public offices to survive and prosper.
Private employment includes four separate classes. The first class is the families
that work the land and water. Second class is made up of the people who add more
value to the goods produced by the first class. The third class is the merchants and
wholesale traders. Finally the fourth class is in charge of private occupations and
services that are everywhere from scientific and liberal professions down to the
least esteemed domestic servants. (Hunt p. 65). These four classes are what are
needed to have a nation that can survive and prosper. The people of the Third Estate
make up all four of these classes. Sieyès makes it obvious that the Third Estate,
which makes up 95 percent of the French population, do all of the things that keep
the country running yet receive no benefits for their hard work.
People of nobility in France receive glamor and honor for usually no reason.
Thinking about what Natural Law states this is neither fair nor acceptable. Natural
rights are equal opportunity to all people no matter who they are. “Whatever your
services, whatever your talents, you will only go so far and no further. Honors are
not for your sort.” (Hunt p. 66). For many people living in France their entire life
could be told before they were even born. There was little to no chance of moving
up in the class system. This document raised many questions and added flame to the
fire, which ultimately led the thought of a French Revolution into a reality.
The third and last document is the 1791 Declaration of the Rights of Women
by Olympe De Gouges. In a world where human equality is still being tested the
thoughts expressed in this document are some of the same ideas that helped women
in America gain more rights in 1920. The document over natural law gives a
baseline of how all humans should be treated, yet in France during the 18th century
women had even fewer rights than many of the men who only had a handful.
De Gouges points out a list of seventeen rights of women with the first being,
“Woman is born free and remains equal to man in rights. Social distinctions may be
based only on common utility.” (Hunt p. 125). This idea is not unrealistic in today’s
society but during the 18th century women were not held equal to men. For De
Gouges to have this revolutionary idea of equality for women in 1791 shows the
knowledge that she and many others had during this time period. Throughout this
document she not only speaks about the rights of women giving them more freedom
and responsibility, but also how women and men should be equal. She does not
denounce men or act as if women are on a higher pedestal; she only focuses on how
the two are equal. “For maintenance of public authority and for expenses of
administration, taxation of women and men is equal; she takes part in all forced
labor service, in all painful tasks; she must therefore have the same proportion in
the distribution of places employments, offices, dignities and in industry.” (Hunt p.
126). De Gouges gives the French women and women today hope for equality with
this document.
Many articles and documents created in the 18th century will not have
connections to today’s life. However, many of the documents in this book and from
the French Revolution are timeless pieces that are still used to inspire revolutions
today. The thought of man and women being equal is still a controversial part of
America, as well as the thought of Natural Law for all people in the world. The fact
that these writers were able to create these impressive documents more than two
hundred years ago and they still have importance in today’s life shows just how big
of an impact the French Revolution had for the French and the world.