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Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789), List 1

Fri May 30 18:50:45 EDT 2025
By Vocabulary.com (NY)Visual Thesaurus Moderator
Coauthored by Thomas Jefferson and General Lafayette, this declaration was approved by the National Assembly of France in 1789. Unlike the American Declaration of Independence, its content consists more of philosophical principles rather than specific grievances against an abusive king. But similarly, it led to a revolution that inspired the hearts of individuals around the world. Read this list aloud to hear the echoes that unite humanity.
E-text available here.
calamity
The representatives of the French people, organized as a National Assembly, believing that the ignorance, neglect, or contempt of the rights of man are the sole cause of public calamities and of the corruption of governments...
unalienable
...to set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, unalienable, and sacred rights of man, in order that this declaration, being constantly before all the members of the Social body, shall remind them continually of their rights and duties
grievance
and, lastly, in order that the grievances of the citizens, based hereafter upon simple and incontestable principles, shall tend to the maintenance of the constitution and redound to the happiness of all.
auspices
Therefore the National Assembly recognizes and proclaims, in the presence and under the auspices of the Supreme Being, the following rights of man and of the citizen
distinction
1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.
association
2. The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man.
oppression
These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.
sovereignty
3. The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation.
consist
4. Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights.
prohibit
5. Law can only prohibit such actions as are hurtful to society.
participate
6. Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation.
eligible
All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents.
prescribe
7. No person shall be accused, arrested, or imprisoned except in the cases and according to the forms prescribed by law.
arbitrary
Any one soliciting, transmitting, executing, or causing to be executed, any arbitrary order, shall be punished.
virtue
But any citizen summoned or arrested in virtue of the law shall submit without delay, as resistance constitutes an offense.

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