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Liberté, égalité, fraternité, French for "Liberty, equality, fraternity (brotherhood)", [1] is the motto of the French Republic, and is a typical example of a tripartite motto.
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Origins
One slogan of the French Revolution was Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, ou la Mort! (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity/Brotherhood, or Death!). This slogan outlived the revolution, and later became the rallying cry of activists, both militant and non-violent, who promote democracy or the overthrow of oppressive governments.
The Elements of the Motto of the Republic
Liberty
The first element of the motto of the Republic, "Liberty" is a concept from political philosophy and identifies the condition in which an individual has the ability to act according to his or her own will. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789 defines Liberty in Article 4: "Liberty consists of being able to do anything that does not harm others: thus, the exercise of the natural rights of every man or woman has no bounds other than those that guarantee other members of society the enjoyment of these same rights."
Equality
The second term of the motto of the Republic, "Equality" means that the law is the same for each individual, and does not take into account differences of birth or wealth. In 1789, the equality of all citizens was proclaimed in Article 1 of the Declaration, and defined in Article 6: The law "must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in its eyes, shall be equally eligible to all high offices, public positions and employments, according to their ability, and without other distinction than that of their virtues and talents."
Fraternity
The third element of the motto of the Republic, "Fraternity" is defined in the Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and the Citizen, which appeared in the preamble of the Consititution of 5th Fructidor Year III (22 August 1795): “Do not do unto others what you would not have done to you; always show to others the good that you would have shown to you”. "Fraternity" was only added to the Motto of the Republic in 1848: Catholic deputies offered it as a compromise to prevent the proclamation of the right to employment. According to Paul Thibaud, philosopher and former director of philosophical journal 'Esprit' [2], “Fraternity is as great an obligation to respect one's fellow man as Liberty and Equality are perceived as rights. It is thus a moral imperative."
History
“Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” was not the central motto at the time of the French Revolution even if it expresses its central principles. Forsaken by the Empire and the Restoration, it was only in 1848 that Pierre Leroux revived the phrase. Pache, mayor of the commune of Paris, painted the formula “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, ou la mort” on the walls of the commune. It was under the Second Republic that it took on its final form and only under the Third Republic was the motto made official. During the German occupation of France in World War II, this motto was replaced by the phrase "Travail, famille, patrie" (Work, family, fatherland)[2] by Marshal Pétain, who became the leader of the new Vichy French government through a constitutional coup in 1940, supported by Nazi Germany. This new motto was parodied in some circles as "Trouvailles, famine, patrouilles" (Lucky finds, famine, patrols), a reference to the shortages and surveillance that occurred in Vichy France, as well as the efforts people made to survive. France currently uses the milder version "Liberté, égalité, fraternité" as its national motto, which is incorporated into both the 1946 and the 1958 French constitutions. [1]
Culture
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French coins have carried this motto since the beginning of the Twentieth century. Even with the introduction of the Euro as the unified currency of the European Union, this motto continues to represent France on her currency.
At one point the motto was used to mark churches which were controlled by the state, rather than the Catholic Church. Some former colonies of the French Republic (such as Chad, Niger, and Gabon) have adopted similar three-word mottos. The motto used to appear on packs of Gauloises cigarettes. In astrology, this slogan is used to describe the three zodiac signs of the element of Air: Aquarius (freedom), Libra (equality), and Gemini (brotherhood).
References
1. Wikipedia (France) with Google Translation Link
- ^ a b Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood. Embassy of France in the U.S.. Retrieved on 2007-5-1.
- ^ Vichy Government. World History at KMLA. Retrieved on 2007-5-1.
