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Popular Sovereignty In The French Revolution

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May 5, 1789, the beginning of the infamous French Revolution. Historians around the world studied the causes of the French Revolution, arguably regarded as one of the most important events in human history. Many important ideologies were developed during this time period. The current western political philosophies in France is the result of the French Revolution which introduced the principles of civic equality and popular sovereignty that challenged the historical Three Estates. Following many European reform trends, France in 1789 began their own major reform that lasted nearly a decade. France suffered from many political problems, causing chaos in France. One major problem in France was the government itself. At that time, many governments …show more content…

Popular sovereignty is the idea that "governments derive their authority from the consent and support of people, not from God" (Alpha). Until the modern era, most kings and governments claimed their authority from God, a concept called divine right of kings. The concept was based in part of a "social contract" between individuals and their government, a concept created by writers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. A corollary of popular sovereignty is that if a government fails or mistreats its people, the people have the right to replace it (The Social Contract). Because the Third Estate formed the vast majority of the French nation, it was entitled to representation in the national government. Furthermore, popular sovereignty "replaces the bipolar structure of monarchy with the unipolar structure of self-government (Kelley). The power of authority is taken back to the people instead of the government. Popular sovereignty also, "in terms of mimetic theory, is the fundamental structure of sovereignty is the bipolarity of the victim and the mob, and in historical period we have considered, popular sovereignty is the myth of the murder of kings" (Kelley). Mimetic theory is the idea of a mechanism universally operative in human history which is justified in the emerging discipline of evolutionary psychology. Basically, if the people want …show more content…

Currently, the France, that people know today, is the aftermath of the French Revolution. The government of France “is a unique hybrid of presidential and parliamentary systems that reflect rich political traditions and culture” (Guardian). In the current France, there is no absolute monarchy. There is no divine ruler like King Louis XVI. France is now a democratic country with the President as the leader along with his hers subsidiaries. Currently, the President of France is Emmanuel Macron of the Republic Party (A Short) Macron, so far, has made very good changes not just in France, but especially throughout

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After many years of unhappiness with the monarchy, the French citizens started a rebellion. This rebellion, called the French Revolution, had several causes, most of which related to a society that favored the rich. The quality of life for members of the third estate in France was very low. Those who were poor were very poor.

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The French Revolution was a revolution in France from 1789 to 1799. It also led to the end of the monarchy, and to many other wars. But every revolution has a cause right? Whether it be a major argument or one person's different belief, it’s still a start. The causes of the French Revolution were a lack of guidance, an unstable economy, and ideas from the American Revolution.

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The French Revolution was a drastic time for the people of France. In 1789, the majority of people were living in poverty and dealing with terrible conditions. People were split into three estates: the first, second, and third, the first being the wealthiest. Political, economic, and social situations were what contributed to people’s desire for change. The three main, or biggest causes of the French Revolution, were taxes, inequality, and lack of reform.

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The French people’s knowledge of their rights led them to believe that it is possible to achieve fairness and be respected in their own province. And lastly, the idea of questioning France’s government had peasants discover that their king barely even cared about their well-being and restricted them of representation.

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The French Revolution of 1789 marks a watershed in the political development of France and its role in European history. Many events contributed to the adversity that France was already facing before the revolution had even begun. The nation’s intervention in the Seven Years’ War, the American War of Independence, and their already problematic taxation system, ultimately caused it to go into state debt. This, combined with France’s rapidly growing population, is what most of France’s economic crisis revolved around. The French population had actually grown by about 8 million people from 1700 to 1789, making it Europe’s most populous state.

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But why is popular sovereignty needed in order to have freedom and equality? It’s because the idea of popular sovereignty entails that the government needs the consent of the people before enacting any sort of law or regulation because the people are seen

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King Louis XVI, who was the ruler at the time, was a main contributor to these problems that led France to its downfall. The country had a massive lack of resources and food, which led King Louis XVI to borrow more money than he could afford, thus putting the country in immense debt. Despite the very visible crisis overthrowing the country, the king was incapable of accepting his mistakes and refused to change his ways. He maintained the unjust voting system, known as the Estates-General, and worsened the taxing system in order to pay off his debts. The people, especially those of the Third Estate, were clearly angry and dissatisfied with the state of the country, which led them seek out a movement for what was right.

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