ABBE SIEYES1748-1836

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Birth name was Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyes Born at Frejus on the Mediterranean coast on

May 3, 1748 He was educated for the church at the

Sorbonne where he got into philosophy and theology

BIOGRAPHICAL INFO. CONTINUED

Published a pamphlet around 1789 called “What is the Third Estate?”

This pamphlet attacked noble and clerical privileges

“He participated in the writing of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen and the constitution of 1791”

BIOGRAPHICAL INFO. CONTINUED

“He made his chief contributions in 1789-91 with the theory of national sovereignty and representation, and the distinction between active and passive citizens, which restricted the vote to men of property.”

He became senator and senator of the empire and lived in exile (1816-30) in Brussels after the Bourbon restoration.

WHAT IS THE THIRD ESTATE?

It was by Abbe Sieyes in January 1789. He argued that the Third Estate was a

complete nation and it would be better off without the “Dead Weight” of the privileged orders.

This pamphlet was Sieyes response to Jacques Necker’s invitation for writers to state how they thought the Estates-General should be organized.

WHAT REASONS DOES HE GIVE FOR SUPPORTING THE THIRD ESTATE?

“He stated that the people want: - Genuine representatives in the Estates-

General - Representatives equal to the other two

orders taken together - Votes taken by heads and not by orders”

WHAT DID SIEYES DO FOR A LIVING?

Abbe Sieyes was predestined to be a priest.

Sometimes he would be selected to major positions in the “Diocese of Chartres.”

THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS ABBE SIEYES WROTE IN HIS PAMPHLET.

  “Abbé Sieyès' pamphlet begins:-

  The plan of this book is fairly simple. We must ask ourselves three questions.

  1. What is the Third State? Everything.

  2. What has it been until now in the political order? Nothing.

  3. What does it want to be? Something....

  and ends:”(Hayes)

THIS IS HOW “WHAT IS THE THIRD ESTATE” AFFECTED THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

The nobles do not have any part in a “perfect society” according to Abbe Sieyes.

The Peasants and the First Class should be “flip-flopped” with the First Class being less important than the Peasants.

The Peasants do more for society than the First Class.

PICTURES OF ABBE SIEYES AND THE MARCH OF VERSAILLES

WORKS CITED "Answers." Comte Emmanuel Joseph Sieyes. 2006.

Answers Corporation. 11 Mar 2008 <http://www.answers.com/topic/emmanuel-joseph-siey-s>.

Halsall, Paul. Abbe Sieyes: What is the Third Estate?. Aug, 1997. Modern History Sourcebook. 12 Mar 2008 <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/sieyes.html>.

Hayes, Brian. "age-of-the-sage." Abbe Sieyes: What is the Third Estate?. October, 2002. 11 Mar 2008 <http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/historical/biography/abbe_sieyes.html>.