Voltaire Declaration Of Rights Analysis

The French Revolution, an uprising formed by the underprivileged society of France with the intent of reworking the nation and sharing equal rights. While Voltaire was not the main contributor in stirring the rebellion, he did play an important role in defining what it was that the peasants wanted and reminding them that they deserved more than what they had previously been given. After the French Revolution was won, the rules of the country had to be rewritten. Voltaire’s works were useful to the National Convention on how to write their constitution and what rules and procedures should be bared to better protect and distribute the rights of the people. In Article 11 of a French declaration of rights, it is stated that “The free communication of ideas and of opinions is one of the most precious rights of man. Any citizen may therefore speak, write and publish freely…”15. Rights of expression and independent opinion were two things that Voltaire incessantly stood for, and from his efforts, they were published into the constitution, giving all the people of France the ability to express their minds without fear of censorship or prosecution.

14 Voltaire. "A Plea for the Poor." Letter to M. de Farges . 25 …show more content…
Laws were set up that prevented any particular group or individual from gaining any privilege or exception that the whole nation is not subject to.16 This law prevents the wealthy population from once again being able to take advantage of and tax the poorer people. Before, the lower classes were allowed none of the rights of the richer classes, which only furthered the belief that the peasants were beneath the aristocratic society. Under these laws, all people in France are considered equal with the same