This book explores the constitutional debates of the Year 3 of the French Revolution (also known as Year 1 of the French Republic) and the drafts for the Declaration and the Constitution of 1793. It presents the revolutionaries’ distinct view on human rights and the rights of the peoples, as well as their philosophical underpinnings. After discussing how contemporary legal history and theory, and political philosophy approached the revolutionary period, the book tackles the main topics covered during the debates and proposals. Starting with the issue of external relations and the sovereignty of the people and ending with natural rights and Republicanism, this book shows how apparently technical questions (such as what procedure should be implemented to declare a war) are intertwined with philosophical reflections on rights and with problems that were urgent at the time.
Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Thinking the French Revolution (and
Law).
Chapter 3: Excursus: Introducing the Archive.- Chapter 4: External
Relation and Sovereignties.- Chapter 5: Facets of the Executive
Branch.- Chapter 6: The Legislative Body.- Chapter 7: Republic and
Citizenship.- Chapter 8: Final Remarks.
Eduardo Baker is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has also worked as an international human rights lawyer for the past ten years in regional and universal human rights protection systems.
