During the French Revolution, there was a big emphasis on sovereignty. Many people and groups view this ideology different the others and not everyone aggress on the same definition of sovereignty the same way. There were those, like Abbe Emmanuel – Joseph Sibyes, who define sovereignty as a nation that doesn’t need leader or higher power, if it can function as a whole. Other, such as National Assembly believed that all men are equal and everybody has the right to be persuade on a free trial. All these examples are different ideas on what sovereignty represents and many people beliefs can be found in primary sources of these people.
When we look at the view of Abbe Emmanuel – Joseph Sieyes, he describes the sovereignty of the Third Estate. At the time, before the French Revolution, it is controlled by a higher power. Sieyes proposes the question “What is the Third Estate?”(Cole and Symes, 484), where he describes the whole function of the group and. We know that the Third Estate is controlled both by the First and Second Estate and that it bears most of the burden by working in higher condition and debts of the whole France. The argument is that the Third Estate needs a higher power to control them because they cannot function on their own. Sieyes however, stated that the Third Estate would not only work on its own, but it can become better without both the First and Second Estate. Like Seiyes mentions that “It is like a strong and robust man with one arm still in chains.” This means then that it can operate on its own just fine and there is no need of somebody higher controlling them. This is Abbe Emmanuel – Joseph Sieyes definition of sovereignty.
Another person or group in this case that had a big influence on popular sovereignty in France was the National Assembly. Before the National Assembly the Estates were usually run by an Estates general and specific orders that were sometimes very crucial, such as high taxes on the Third Estate. When the National assembly was formed these rules were all gone because they wanted to change the system to appeal more to the citizens. One of the most important pronouncements of the National Assembly was the declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizens. This document abolished the feudal system in France and brought a better one, where all power should serve more for the benefit of the people. One of the most interesting article in the document was number 34, which demanded that “The source of sovereignty resides essentially in the nation. No body, no individual can exercise authority that does not explicitly proceed from it” (Cole and Symes, 486). This ideology would go along with Seiyeses ideology since they have similar beliefs.
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In conclusion, we can see that despite different approach, most people would consider sovereignty in France as a free nation that can work on its own. The enlightenment had a big influence as well in this period of time and people started thinking more for themselves. People didn’t want to be controlled and demanded for a better system. These events then led to the Inevitable French Revolution.
