The rights of man

The influence of american declarations on the french declaration of the rights of man

Thomas Paine

342 pages, parution le 21/07/2023

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Résumé

The text explores the origins and influences behind the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizens, adopted on August 26, 1789, during the French Revolution. Contrary to popular belief, the Declaration was not primarily inspired by Rousseau's "Contrat Social" or the American Declaration of Independence. Instead, it drew heavily from the bills of rights of individual American states, particularly Virginia's Bill of Rights. These American documents were well-known in France at the time, and they provided a model for the French in articulating the rights of individuals against the state. The American declarations emphasized inherent and inalienable rights, a concept that was not present in English law, which focused more on inherited rights and duties of the government. The French Declaration adopted the American style of abstract principles and pathos, but with a distinct emphasis on equality before the law, influenced by Rousseau's ideas. The text argues that the American bills of rights were not merely legal documents but were seen as higher laws that set boundaries between the state and the individual, a concept that was revolutionary in the context of European legal traditions. The analysis highlights the importance of understanding the historical and social conditions that allowed these ideas to take root and influence the development of modern constitutional law.

L'auteur - Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine, né le 29 janvier 1737 à Thetford en Grande-Bretagne et mort le 8 juin 1809 à New York aux États-Unis, est un intellectuel, pamphlétaire, révolutionnaire britannique, américain et français. Il est connu pour son engagement durant la révolution américaine en faveur de l'indépendance des treize colonies britanniques en Amérique du Nord. Il a exposé ses positions dans un célèbre pamphlet intitulé Le Sens commun, publié quelques mois avant la signature de la Déclaration d'indépendance américaine en 1776. . Après la Terreur, il est relâché et connaît un certain succès grâce à son livre Le Siècle de la raison (The Age of Reason, 1793-1794) qui analyse le christianisme et milite en faveur du déisme. Dans Agrarian Justice (1795)1, il analyse les origines du droit de propriété et introduit le concept de revenu de base ou universel, proche du revenu minimum.