Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen Analysis - Essay Example

HistoryIntroduction Democracy, in the modern world, grants certain fundamental rights to every human. These rights are mostly based on the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen . This declaration was passed during the French Revolution in August 1789 by the French National Constituent Assembly. Most of the ideas put forth in the declaration have been inspired by American President, Thomas Jefferson. This declaration was later accepted by many other nations and thus forms a universal document. Quote10. No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law.11. The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man.

Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law ("Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen").Explanation of Quote The above quote defines the rights that a man should be entitled to on a modern democratic nation. Unlike nations ruled by Kings, the power in a democratic nation belongs to the people. These people should be equally treated and they have the right to their own opinions and thoughts.

Every person is allowed to express his opinions and thoughts even if they relate with their religious opinions. No one should be held responsible for their opinions as long as they do not impact another person's personal life. Expression of opinion is not limited to any medium. A person can express his opinions through speaking, writing or even printing his thoughts. However, there are certain expressions that are banned through law and if a person abuses the law, then he is liable to punishment.

Analysis This quote is important in defining the distinction between private and public life. Before modernity, it was religion that defined the rights of men but as humanity moved through rationalistic and logical thought, they needed a clear distinction between private and public life. Since it is difficult to separate the two, the need of these rights arose. These rights allow man the right to hold his own opinions. However, society today is very diverse. Different forms of opinions arise as a result of difference in religious beliefs, ethnicity, gender, age, social status etc.

Therefore the opinions of one man can negatively affect the opinions or actions of another man. Thus, the need for distinction between private and public life. In order to make the right more clear, man was allowed to express his opinions of any form of medium. While man is allowed to express his opinions, the law stands on a higher authority. At times, the expression of these opinions are often at end with the law and therefore this must be avoided. In this manner, the modern state gives more power to the law since it is the law that defines the controls and monitors the distinction between private and public life.

Conclusion In the modern democratic nation, the society became more human centric. Man was given a better position in the society as his opinions, even his religious opinion, were given free rein. The only control applied to his opinions was from the law. This was done in order to regulate the way opinions make an impact on society. Work Cited"Declaration of the Right of Man and Citizen", Britannica, 1789, Web. Retrieved 3 December, 2014