What is the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen?

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (Declaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen) was adopted on 26 August 1789 by the National Constituent Assembly during the French Revolution. It was the first step toward writing a constitution for France and remains one of the most influential human rights documents in history.

The Declaration consists of a preamble and 17 articles setting out "natural and inalienable" rights. Its opening article proclaims: "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights." The document was initially drafted by Marquis de Lafayette with assistance from Thomas Jefferson, though the final version was largely shaped by Abbe Sieyes.

Drawing heavily on Enlightenment philosophy -- particularly Rousseau's social contract theory and Montesquieu's separation of powers -- the Declaration influenced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and constitutional documents worldwide. However, it was limited in scope, applying only to male citizens and excluding women, enslaved people, and colonial subjects.

Key Features

# Feature Details
1 Date of Adoption 26 August 1789
2 Adopted By National Constituent Assembly of France
3 Structure Preamble + 17 articles
4 Core Rights Liberty, property, security, resistance to oppression
5 Equality Before Law Article 6: Law is the expression of the general will; all citizens are equal before it
6 Separation of Powers Article 16: A society without separation of powers has no constitution
7 Sovereignty Article 3: Sovereignty resides in the Nation, not in any individual
8 Freedom of Expression Article 11: Free communication of ideas and opinions is a precious right
9 Drafters Lafayette (initial draft), Abbe Sieyes (final version); Jefferson advised
10 Limitations Applied only to male citizens; excluded women, enslaved people, colonial subjects

UPSC Exam Corner

Prelims: Key Facts

  • Date: 26 August 1789
  • Articles: 17 (plus preamble)
  • Key phrase: "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights"
  • Philosophical influences: Rousseau, Montesquieu, Locke
  • Drafter: Marquis de Lafayette (with Jefferson's assistance)
  • Olympe de Gouges wrote a counter-document, Declaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)

Mains: Probable Themes

  1. "The Declaration of the Rights of Man was revolutionary in principle but limited in practice." -- Discuss its exclusions
  2. Analyse the influence of Enlightenment philosophy on the Declaration
  3. Compare the Declaration of the Rights of Man with the American Declaration of Independence
  4. Trace the legacy of the Declaration in modern international human rights law

Sources: Declaration of the Rights of Man (Wikipedia) | Declaration (Elysee Palace) | Declaration (Britannica) | Avalon Project - Yale Law