France was kinda lacking rules and order at the exact moment that the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was written.
They had an absolute monarch who was reluctant to impose rule and order, especially when it came to taxes. And they had angry mobs in the street burning down prisons and starting to send people to the guillotine. (Yeah, not a great situation.)
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was intended to restore a little stability in France and give them all something they could get behind.
Questions About Rules and Order
- Which of the rules proposed by the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen do you think is most important, and why?
- The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen suggests that to have order a nation must have a military and collect taxes. Do you agree or disagree with this assertion? Explain your answer.
- What punishments would you suggest for breaking the rules implied in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen? Explain your answer.
Chew on This
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen failed to achieve order in France because instead of providing a rebellious populace with rules, it supplied only vague ideas of freedom.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen is among the greatest list of rights because it attempted to oppose rule and order on a monarch without first removing him from his position.