Where are the ideals from the French Revolution being contemplated today?

The French Revolution was motivated and shaped by several distinct ideas. Three of these ideas were encapsulated in a well-known revolutionary slogan: “Liberty! Equality! Fraternity!”.

The ideology of the French Revolution was broader and more complex than mere slogans, however. French revolutionary ideas drew heavily on the political philosophy of the Enlightenment and the writings of the philosophes.

French revolutionary ideas borrowed from other political systems and places. Many French revolutionaries were keen students of Britain’s government and society, for example. They came to admire its constitutional basis, its separation of powers and its tolerance for individual rights and freedoms.

The American Revolution (1775-89), which was concluding as the French Revolution was unfolding, was also significant. The American model provided French reformers with a working example of a successful revolution and a written constitution.

The ideas of the French Revolution were also inspired or shaped by grievances specific to 18th century France. Some of the key ideas are summarised below.

Liberty

In the context of the 18th century, liberty described freedom from oppression, particularly oppression by the state or government.

The most visible instruments of oppression in the Ancien Régime were lettres de cachet, or sealed orders signed by the king. These lettres had several functions but their most common use was to detain and imprison individuals without trial or due process.

Several notable figures were imprisoned by lettres de cachet, including Honore Mirabeau (for disgracing his family) and Voltaire (for defamatory writings).

Another example of state oppression was the censorship of publications containing criticisms of the king, the aristocracy or the church. The Ancien Régime also used torture to deal with its opponents, though this declined in the late 1700s and was formally abolished in May 1788.