History
Compare the views of Desmoulins and Robespierre. How does each one understand the use of state force? What does Robespierre mean by ‘the war of liberty against tyranny’? How does Desmoulins perceive liberty? Refer once more to Source C. What did the constitutional laws on the rights of individuals lay down? Discuss your views on the subject in class.
Source C
The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen
- Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.
- The aim of every political association is the preservation of the natural and inalienable rights of man; these are liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression.
- The source of all sovereignty resides in the nation; no group or individual may exercise authority that does not come from the people.
- Liberty consists of the power to do whatever is not injurious to others.
- The law has the right to forbid only actions that are injurious to society.
- Law is the expression of the general will. All citizens have the right to participate in its formation, personally or through their representatives. All citizens are equal before it.
- No man may be accused, arrested or detained, except in cases determined by the law.
- Every citizen may speak, write and print freely; he must take responsibility for the abuse of such liberty in cases determined by the law.
- For the maintenance of the public force and for the expenses of administration a common tax is indispensable; it must be assessed equally on all citizens in proportion to their means.
- Since property is a sacred and inviolable right, no one may be deprived of it, unless a legally established public necessity requires it. In that case a just compensation must be given in advance.
French Revolution
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Answer
| Desmoulins | Robespierre |
|---|---|
| He advocated for a more moderate approach to governance. | He was a prominent proponents of revolutionary violence during the Reign of Terror. |
| He was against the use of state force to suppress dissent. | He argued for the use of state force, including the guillotine, to eliminate the threats and safeguard the ideals of the revolution. |
For Robespierre, this war symbolized the conflict between the revolutionary forces advocating for liberty, equality, and fraternity, and the forces of oppression and tyranny represented by the monarchy, aristocracy, and counter-revolutionary factions.
Camille Desmoulins perceived liberty through a lens that emphasized both individual rights and collective well-being. Desmoulins was known for his impassioned advocacy for freedom and his desire to see it realized in the context of a just and equitable society.
Following were the constitutional laws laid down on the rights of individual:
- Equality
- Liberty
- Freedom of Speech and Press
- Right of political association
- Right of property.
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Related Questions
Imagine the impact of the events in France on neighbouring countries such as Prussia, Austria-Hungary or Spain, all of which were absolute monarchies. How would the kings, traders, peasants, nobles or members of the clergy here have reacted to the news of what was happening in France?
Look carefully at the painting and identify the objects which are political symbols you saw in Box (broken chain, red cap, fasces, Charter of the Declaration of Rights). The pyramid stands for equality often represented by a triangle. Use the symbols to interpret the painting. Describe your impressions of the female figure of liberty.
Describe the persons represented in Fig. 12 – their actions, their postures, the objects they are carrying. Look carefully to see whether all of them come from the same social group. What symbols has the artist included in the image? What do they stand for? Do the actions of the women reflect traditional ideas of how women were expected to behave in public? What do you think: does the artist sympathise with the women’s activities or is he critical of them? Discuss your views in the class.
Compare the manifesto drafted by Olympe de Gouges (Source F) with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (Source C).
Source F
Some of the basic rights set forth in Olympe de Gouges’ Declaration.
- Woman is born free and remains equal to man in rights.
- The goal of all political associations is the preservation of the natural rights of woman and man: These rights are liberty, property, security, and above all resistance to oppression.
- The source of all sovereignty resides in the nation, which is nothing but the union of woman and man.
- The law should be the expression of the general will; all female and male citizens should have a say either personally or by their representatives in its formulation; it should be the same for all. All female and male citizens are equally entitled to all honours and public employment according to their abilities and without any other distinction than that of their talents.
- No woman is an exception; she is accused, arrested, and detained in cases determined by law. Women, like men, obey this rigorous law.
Source C
The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen
- Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.
- The aim of every political association is the preservation of the natural and inalienable rights of man; these are liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression.
- The source of all sovereignty resides in the nation; no group or individual may exercise authority that does not come from the people.
- Liberty consists of the power to do whatever is not injurious to others.
- The law has the right to forbid only actions that are injurious to society.
- Law is the expression of the general will. All citizens have the right to participate in its formation, personally or through their representatives. All citizens are equal before it.
- No man may be accused, arrested or detained, except in cases determined by the law.
- Every citizen may speak, write and print freely; he must take responsibility for the abuse of such liberty in cases determined by the law.
- For the maintenance of the public force and for the expenses of administration a common tax is indispensable; it must be assessed equally on all citizens in proportion to their means.
- Since property is a sacred and inviolable right, no one may be deprived of it, unless a legally established public necessity requires it. In that case a just compensation must be given in advance.