Question

Read the excerpt below from the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the

Citizen, a document that expressed many of the most important ideas that
motivated the French Revolution. Which of the statements that follow the
excerpt most accurately generalizes these ideas?
1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.
Social distinctions may be founded only upon the
general good.
2. The aim of all political association is the preservation
of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man.
These rights are liberty, property, security, and
resistance to oppression.
3. The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in

Answer 1

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, rooted in Enlightenment ideals, propagated principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity and helped in transitioning France from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was a seminal document that encapsulated the values and ideas of the French Revolution, heavily influenced by the Enlightenment ideals. This Declaration, inspired by the work of philosophers like John Locke and Montesquieu, proclaimed liberty, equality, and brotherhood as its guiding principles. It aimed to abolish the social distinctions that were not founded on the general good, establishing that sovereignty resided in the people, and the rights to liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression were inalienable.

While the French Revolution primarily championed the rights of White males of European descent, concepts such as the equal right to hold public office, freedom of religion, and taxation based on ability to pay were revolutionary. The Declaration orchestrated the transition from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy, thereby aligning with the Lockean theory that a government's role is to protect these natural rights, and should the government fail to do so, it was the right and duty of the people to change it. The Enlightenment inspired thinkers to advocate for reason, the importance of the individual, and the concept of natural rights, signaling the start of modern democratic governance.