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Citizens, Sovereignty, and General Will

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Citizens, Sovereignty, and General Will 1 Revolutions of France and of Brabant Jacobin Club 1792 Volume 1, Issue 2 Citizens, Sovereignty, and General Will Do not fear people of France if the sovereign of a nation. But what is the sovereign? Before one can understand what a In this issue: you are confused on whether or sovereign is, he must understand what a republic or body politic is. Rousseau describes not you are a citizen, for I am a republic as, “The public person thus formed by the union of all other persons.” Using here to answer that question. If what I have classified as “citizens” it is clear to see that the republic is the union of all you live on French soil and the citizens of a nation. The republic has different roles it must fill. According to Citizens, 1 answer to the Government of Rousseau, “In its passive role it is called the state, when it plays an active role it is the Sovereignty, and France, then you are a citizen sovereign.” Therefore when the republic is active it is referred to as the sovereign. of France. However, if you do General Will A common question that arises is where is this sovereignty invested? not consider yourself part of The sovereignty, which is made up of all the citizens of the republic, is ultimately the sovereign of France, then vested in the general will and as Rousseau claims, “Sovereignty, being nothing other you cannot be a citizen. All citizens are part of the general will and submit than the exercise of general will.” We of the National Assembly are representing the themselves to the sovereign. As Rousseau says in The Social Contract, “Those people, or supposed to at least. In this way our goal is to pass laws that are best for the Corruption at 2 who are associated in it take collectively the name a people, and call themselves general will. Since the sovereignty is invested in the general will and the prosperity of Every Turn individually citizens, in that they share the sovereign power.” A person must be the general will is in the hands of the National Assembly, it seems that some of the part of the sovereign to be a citizen. In order to be a part of the sovereign a person sovereignty is also invested in the National Assembly. If the people of France disagree must live in that sovereign’s territory and answer to its laws. Citizenship does not with the decisions of the legislature, the decision should be looked at once again by the rely on color, sex, or religious affiliation. Citizenship is rather the classification National Assembly to see if it is best suited for the general will. Now that all citizens of that members of a particular sovereign fall under. Liberté, Egalité, 3 France have voting rights, they are able to overturn decisions without the use of The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen does not violence. However, it is also possible that the people are mistaken in what they believe and Fraternité mention a person’s color in any of the articles. Why then should the slaves of the to be best for the general will. In deciding what is best for the general will, one must French colonies not be considered citizens? They are a part of the general will just put aside all personal desires, which seems to be especially difficult for some members as the local miller or shopkeeper is. Members of the general will of France are of our current Assembly. Often times people want what is best for themselves, but what citizens of France as well. How can members of our National Assembly such as may not be best for the whole people. In theory the legislature should truly represent Citizens Lafayette and Olympe de Gouges champion equality for women and men, the general will. In practice corrupt individuals let private desires influence their but vote against granting that same rights to black men and women? Do the slaves decisions and only seek to harm the general will. These individuals have no place in in the Caribbean not answer to the state of France? Perhaps Citizen Lafayette our National Assembly, and should be removed from it. What is harmful to one would have been happier with an amendment to the first article of The Declaration member in the sovereign is harmful to all members of the of the Rights of Man and Citizen that looked something like this, “All men are born sovereign. and remain free and equal in rights, except those who are black and are enslaved in The sovereign is as our fields.” Citizen Lafayette apparently considers himself above the former slaves Rousseau puts it, “inalienable” and “indivisible.” No of the Caribbean. This sense of superiority has no place in our National Assembly. member of the sovereign should be alienated from the A black person can perform the same function in society as a white person, as long rest. This is the reasoning behind equal citizenship. The as he is given an equal opportunity to. poor should not be alienated from the wealthy, and the Differences in wealth should not dictate differences in black from the white. Who is to say a person is part of citizenship. A person born into a wealthy family or someone who inherits wealth is the sovereign or not? The sovereign is the republic, the not more important than every other citizen in society. Why should the amount of republic is the citizens, and the citizens are the people! property a person owns decide the rights they receive as well? A person with no The pleas from our brethren in the Caribbean needed to property is contributing just as much to the general will as a person with acres of be heard and they have been, with much dissatisfaction land. The general will does not deal with the well being of certain people, but from the Feuillants and Lafayette. Human beings do not rather the common good of all people apart of it. A large part of the population of cease being people because wealthy slave owners stand France does not own property. Should these people be considered less a part of the to make a profit. The exploitation of the people is not in general will than property owners? Of course the answer is no. The moment the the best interest of the general will. The freedom of these general will begins dealing with the interest of a certain group, it ceases to be the people will benefit us all in the long run. We of the general will. The general will is the representation of what is best for all the people Jacobins pledge to continue to fight for the rights of the of France, regardless of wealth, color, or property. people, and the equality we of the National Assembly all so proudly advocate. In dealing with the citizens of a nation, you are also dealing with 'Each of us puts his person and all his power in common under the supreme direction of the general will, and, in our corporate capacity, we receive each member as an indivisible part of the whole „ 2 Corruption at Every Turn An essay on the travesty of a monarch CITIZENS, inherently bad and that the General Will only exists and functions in “perfect world.” For as long as I can remember Europe, and most importantly France, has been controlled by They have also argued that the crowd should not have voting rights, that slaves should corrupt and disgraceful monarchs. A monarch does not represent the General Will and completely not have voting rights, but that women should have voting rights. Their voting record, undermines the idea of citizenship and a social contract. Kings rule through absolute power, first off, is unclear and sporadic, and secondly contradicts the General Will and the through force, and by taxing the poor so that they do not possess the resources to rise up against brotherhood of politics in France. The government needs to be compiled of all of the the establishment. How are Frenchmen supposed to feel secure in their livelihood when the men of France. Representation is ineffective, and slaves need to be included along with government does not follow the will of the people? Can the common man be expected to support the crowd members and every other man (over 21) of France because they represent the a government that does not have his best interest in mind? How does the monarch justify their General Will. Women are uneducated in politics and the county and stand outside the power and wealth while the personal rights of citizens are trampled on and ignored in favor of a brotherhood of the country. The Feulliants and Lafayette are making these arguments in rich king and aristocracy? Even as a check and balance to the unicameral legislative branch a King, order to make themselves rich, support their own agenda, and retain their slaves. France as other members of the National Assembly have proposed, would compromise the General Will should ignore the impure and ridiculous notions that these people are forwarding and and corrupt the government. Not only is the King an follow the true General Will of France in the only possible manner. unnecessary component of the government, the very In addition, the French government does existence of a monarch destroys the General Will and require an executive branch, although only as a strict the basis on which a “social contract” is formed. subordinate to the General Will.
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