READING 1
WHAT WAS REVOLUTIONARY ABOUT THE FRENCH REVOLUTION? – ROBERT DARNTON
FIRST PART
Revolutionary (I) the destruction of feudalism + (II) Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Critique:
- Some argue that feudalism had already ceased to exist
- Some argue that Bastille was almost empty
- Some argue that rights of man were swallowed up in the Terror only five years after
Revolution 1789 key feature: energy – a will to build a new world from the ruins of the regime that fell
Revolution brought the collapse of a whole social order (=Ancien Regime)
The word “revolution” did not exist before – little political vocab. before only after the experience came
the concept + concept of “left” and “right”
Everyone was touched by the revolution which reached into everything:
it recreated (1) time (2) space
- (i.e. revolutionary calendar = time began when the monarchy ended + 5 days at the end became
patriotic holidays: Virtue, Genius, Labor, Opinion, and Rewards + names referred to natural
rhythms of the seasons)
- (i.e. adoption of metric system + gram rational/natural organization on space)
- (i.e. map of France divided into departments = symmetrical units of equal size with names from
rivers and mountains)
it changed everything’s name
- (i.e. streets, buildings, towns, chess, playing cards were given new names)
- (i.e. revolutionaries renamed themselves after nature or current events)
Revolution unified France creating eventually the France nation + starting of nationalism + conquered
the rest of Europe
BUT no unified language + extension of the public into the private sphere
case of tu/vous: French revolution wanted to make everybody “tu” (before to superiors “vous”/ while to
inferiors “tu”, also, sense of respect like in family contest) AFTER resolution 1793: “vous” as singular is
banished considering the eternal principle of equality!!
Revolutionaries were trying to build a new society based on new principles of social relations:
1. change dress sansculotte (radicals of the revolutions)/model revolutionary wore trousers, open shirt
2. ending letters with “salut et fraternité”
3. addressing Monsieur and Madame as Citizen/Citizeness
4. abolishing the “vous” meant:
Less discrimination
Less pride
More familiarity
Less social reserve
WHAT WAS REVOLUTIONARY ABOUT THE FRENCH REVOLUTION? – ROBERT DARNTON
FIRST PART
Revolutionary (I) the destruction of feudalism + (II) Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Critique:
- Some argue that feudalism had already ceased to exist
- Some argue that Bastille was almost empty
- Some argue that rights of man were swallowed up in the Terror only five years after
Revolution 1789 key feature: energy – a will to build a new world from the ruins of the regime that fell
Revolution brought the collapse of a whole social order (=Ancien Regime)
The word “revolution” did not exist before – little political vocab. before only after the experience came
the concept + concept of “left” and “right”
Everyone was touched by the revolution which reached into everything:
it recreated (1) time (2) space
- (i.e. revolutionary calendar = time began when the monarchy ended + 5 days at the end became
patriotic holidays: Virtue, Genius, Labor, Opinion, and Rewards + names referred to natural
rhythms of the seasons)
- (i.e. adoption of metric system + gram rational/natural organization on space)
- (i.e. map of France divided into departments = symmetrical units of equal size with names from
rivers and mountains)
it changed everything’s name
- (i.e. streets, buildings, towns, chess, playing cards were given new names)
- (i.e. revolutionaries renamed themselves after nature or current events)
Revolution unified France creating eventually the France nation + starting of nationalism + conquered
the rest of Europe
BUT no unified language + extension of the public into the private sphere
case of tu/vous: French revolution wanted to make everybody “tu” (before to superiors “vous”/ while to
inferiors “tu”, also, sense of respect like in family contest) AFTER resolution 1793: “vous” as singular is
banished considering the eternal principle of equality!!
Revolutionaries were trying to build a new society based on new principles of social relations:
1. change dress sansculotte (radicals of the revolutions)/model revolutionary wore trousers, open shirt
2. ending letters with “salut et fraternité”
3. addressing Monsieur and Madame as Citizen/Citizeness
4. abolishing the “vous” meant:
Less discrimination
Less pride
More familiarity
Less social reserve
