Racial Equality and the Abolition of Slavery in France :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Racial Equality and the Abolition of Slavery in France When Abb Siyes wondered, What is the Third Estate or are slaves? Nothing. What has it have they been until now in the political position? Nothing. What does it do they want? To be become something (65), he could have just as easily spoken of slaves misery rather than the Third Estates plight. While, his scope was limited, his strain were non. Following their first revolution, the French National Assembly helped to change the world. Enlightened, they saw, they defined, they seek to ease all of mankinds suffering. Finally, the term man began to transcend color. If man has rights, they moldiness apply to all men. And thus, the concept of racial equality is born. I bequeath argue in order to achieve this end, and to prove the necessity of racial equality, Enlightened thinkers exposed flaws in current social philosophy, demonstrated the rational conclusions of their progress, and finally addressed the implications of abolition. Marquis de Condorcet was an outspoken advocate for all forms of military man rights-religious, gender, political and especially racial. In his Dedicatory Epistle to the Negro Slaves he writesMy Friends, Although I am not the very(prenominal) color as you, I have unceasingly regarded you as my brothers. Nature formed us with the same spirit, the same reason, the same virtues as whitesYour tyrants will reproach meindeed, nothing is more common than the maxims of munificence and justice Reducing a man to slaverytakes from the slave not only all forms of property but also the ability to rise it (56).Condorcet employs the technique of de/humanizing his subjects to display the arbitrary nature of slavery. Moderates, slaves, and whites-anyone could achieve slave attitude under these random means. Society needs to pr sluicet subordination. The white Condorcet speaks around in apostrophe the style of his introduction greatly resembles an ode. Addressing the slaves in this manner gives even more deference to the lowly slaves. Similarly, the slaves have been elevated to My Friends, further humanizing their cause. Although Condorcet was a well-respected member of the National Assembly, he relates to the slaves how he is not one of the them. The reproducible diction again serves to equate a white man to a slave. This segments tone lacks both condescension and sarcasm. He nearly supplicates to the slaves for their quintessence. His friends-the blacks-are his brethren. If he shares spirit, virtues, and reasons with slaves, what is to let out them?