French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789)

1. The French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (‘Declaration’) of 23 August 1789 is the most famous constitutional document of the French Revolution and also the one with the most lasting impact in modern constitutional history (history of constitutions; revolution). Based on radical enlightenment thinking, it fundamentally transformed the ways of thinking about the foundational principles and ultimate objectives of constitutional order, and paved the way for the age of democratic modernity. Unlike previous rights declarations, the Declaration...