URGENT: Liberty, equality and fraternity (1 Viewer)

[asmith220713]

Hello guys

I needed to write a long paragraph for each of the questions and I don't know what to write about plz help!!


1) Why do you think "Liberty, equality and fraternity" became the motto for the French Revolution?

2) Do you think that these ideas were played out in the French Revolution? Are they achievable in modern society?

 

[Kittikhun]

I'm not an expert on the French revolution, but I'll try my best. First step is to read the wiki page of the French Revolution and proceed from there.

1). Analyse how the three-tiered system worked during the Ancien Régime. In doing this, you'll see why the revolution adopted such a motto. This was a time when the Enlightenment was in its heyday, and the political writings of philosophes espousing the value of power in the people instead of in the hands of a few of the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy were rampant in Paris at least--Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu. Also, read up on the rise of the bourgeoisie during this time. There is a theory that the revolution was instigated and primarily by the ever increasing power of the bourgeoisie, who used the revolution to get rid of the three-tiered system that prevented them from upward social mobility. This motto kind of was used by them as a justification to do their thing.

2). To a certain degree. One, women were not mentioned in the Declaration of the Rights of Man. Nor were slaves. Those who could vote were man who owned property--practically, the bourgeoisie. Liberty and equality were sort of undermined when Napoleon did that Brumaire thing and made himself an autocrat, but his civil code did change western Europe and made it more liberal. Nevertheless, the ideas of the Revolution were radical for the time. Last question is for you to do.

All the best.