Abbe Sieyes: What is the Third Estate? (January, 1789)
Paraphrased Excerpts – adapted from Modern History Source book: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/sieyes.html
What is needed for a nation to survive and do well?
Individual effort and public functions.
[Individual Efforts]
All individual efforts can fit into three categories:
1. Since the earth and the waters give us basic products for the needs of man, the first category, in logical order, will be that of all families which devote themselves to agricultural labor.
2. Between the first sale of products and their consumption or use some work is done that adds value to these products. In this way human work makes the gifts of nature even better. The value of the crude or raw material that the earth gives us is increased two-fold, ten-fold, one-hundred fold by the efforts of this second category of individual efforts or labour.
3. Between production and consumption there is another category of individuals. These are called merchants and brokers, a group of middle-men who buy and sell. Motivated by profit they buy, transport and distribute products. This category of worker is my third category.
4. Finally outside of these three there is another category of productive and useful citizens. This fourth category includes all those people who provide services that are useful and agreeable to individuals. From household servants to professionals.
These categories taken together sum up the efforts which keep society going. Who puts them forth? Who accomplishes them? The Third Estate.
[Public Functions]
Does not the Third Estate also attend to nineteen twentieths of the public functions as well? Does not the Third Estate carry all that is really painful, all the burdens that the privileged classes refuse to carry. Do we give the Third Estate credit for this? The only way that this would happen is if the Third Estate refused to fill these roles and stopped exercising their functions. The facts are well known. Meanwhile those in power have stopped members of the Third Estate from moving up. They have said: “Whatever may be your services, whatever may be your abilities, you shall go thus far; you may not pass beyond!” Any rare exceptions to this are only a mockery and only further insult the Third Estate.
If this exclusion is a social crime against the Third Estate; if it is a true act of hostility, could it perhaps be said that it is useful to the public good? No! The public, the third estate, is only further discouraged by this exclusion and rejection. They are made less able. Is it not understood that every employment from which free competition is removed becomes less effective?
Now the government only looks after the privileged. The government only looks after a particular class and now that class has become fat beyond all measure. The system is structured not based on the necessities of the governed, but in the interests of the governing. When we study examples of this oppression in the History of Ancient Egypt or the accounts of Voyages to the Indies, we see it as despicable, monstrous, destructive of all positive work, the enemy of social progress; above all degrading to the human race in general, and particularly intolerable to Europeans. But forget all this and lets look at our own French situation and put some light on it.
It is enough if I have made it clear that the pretended usefulness of a privileged order for the public service is nothing more than a dream, and illusion, a mirage. We have this privileged class but all that is burdensome in this service is performed by the Third Estate; that without it the places of privilege would be better filled by those who work hard. We should give the position in exchange for recognized ability and service. To give it to “nobles” and keep down the public is a crime.
Who shall dare to tell me that the Third Estate does not have within itself all that is necessary for the formation of a complete nation? It is the strong and healthy man who has one arm still tied behind his back. What is the Third Estate? Everything; but an everything shackled and oppressed. What would it be without the privileged order? Everything, but an everything free and strong. Nothing can succeed without the Third Estate. Everything would be infinitely better without the others.
Not only are the privileged persons not useful to the nation but they can actually weaken and injure it. I need to prove that the noble order does not enter at all into the social organization; that it may indeed be a burden upon the nation.
What is a nation? A body of associates, living under a common law, and represented by the same legislature.
The Third Estate embraces all that which belongs to the nation; and all that which is not the Third Estate, cannot be regarded as being of the nation.
What is the Third Estate?
It is the whole.
What utter nonsense. By no means is the third estate sufficient stuff from which to build a nation. - "French Noble Me"
ReplyDeleteNow, your post should be longer (but not longer than a couple of paragraphs). Good luck.
What is this? Does this filthy sire take pride in his words? Is he proud to spread such lies? Who gave him the right to speak of us as the down-graders of our society? What has he done for you commoners? Nothing but attempt to wash your brains with filthy lies, lies and more lies. Who is he to say that we do nothing for you? Are we not the ones who provide you with work? The ones who protect you from foreign threats? Do you think we find enjoyment in not paying taxes? Do you think we are proud of having the government increasing YOUR taxes more and more? Do you even know why we do that? Well let me begin to explain. We need our comfort in order for us to have the ability to protect YOU! Now imagine one day , outsiders decide to attack and we are nowhere within sight. What are you to do then? Pick up pitch forks and run against guns? NO! You need us, we are the most essential part of this society. Without us, there is no YOU, there is no US, and there is no FRANCE. So i speak to you from this paper, and i plead you all to abide by my words: Do not doubt the nobles, we are your best blessings. Do NOT take us for granted.
ReplyDeleteAnd if that does not convince you, well.... may the Lord forgive your sins and protect you from further.
God Bless You.
Love,
Lord Alex LeSantos, Dr.
P.S. It seems that i have lost my horse. If any of you are to find a strong-legged palomino, please return it to my ranch. I'll speak to whomsoever is your lord to give you 30 minutes of rest.
Thank you.
As a noble, there was no possibility for us to gave up our interest for common people. We birth in the higher class, we got well education and our blood was inheritance by our ancestors who had huge contribution for the country. The ideas of equal and 3rd estate's right were insult of our blood.We should have specialer treatment than common people. God gave the power to our king, and our king gave us rights to ruled the country.
ReplyDeleteThose lower class had no idea about what they want. They were just incite by somebody who wanted to get power by himself. Abbe Sieyes? a father who belonged to the low class of church, no wonder that he tried to get power by telling people in lower class to make revolution and build up new power system.
Our system of power was strong. Our king would protect us. Our army and partners from other countries should help us to keep our power.
Even though if the common people got power and decided to against our king, we would still get enough money to let us escape to other countries and have a nice, rich time for the rest of our lives.
We <3 The second estate :)
ReplyDelete"nobility for the win!!!"
The third estate......hmmm...well a nation isn't simply build by the third estate. Yet, the third estate might considered as the base of our nation, but without us, the nobles, to direct the third estate, the nation can never be secure. You might think you are the only one who is working...but we noble and the first estate are also working. It might not be labor work, but I don't think a third estate can do what we noble can do. Nation should be ruled by people who is educated because we have the knowledge to lead our nation in the right direction.SO THERE FORE, OUR NATION SHOULD REMAIN THE SAME, AND YOU THIRD ESTATE CAN CONTINUE BE THE BASE OF THE NATION AND SUPPORT US. Since the nation has always been like this, it would be the best to leave it the way it is. =)
ReplyDeleteThe Third Estate is the whole? Absolutely NOT. We, the nobles do a lot of works behind the scenes and you guys don't know at all. Remember, what we've done are always beneficial to all of you. Every day we think how to make our nation stronger to avoid the outsiders to attack us for providing a safe, comfortable living condition to you. We also try to carry out many new ideas and constitutions to improve our nation. What we're trying to do is to make our nation stable. Keeping a naiton successful is not as easy as you think. Many aspects have to be considered. However, you continue to complain us, to blame what we've accomplished.
ReplyDeleteWe are the only ones who are educated and have ability to build up a successful nation and you, the third estate are only good at doing the basic skills. Everyone has his own responsibility to do the jobs assigned well, so never think that we are nothing.
The First & Second estates are inseparable from the third estate. It is as inseparable as the trinity, itself. Who is the third estate to say, that this God ordained system should be cast aside? A foot cannot say to the brain " I don't want to be a part of this body," no matter how different they are. They are useless when separate, but when they come together they can achieve greatness. In the same way, the three estates of France, no matter how different they seemed to be, came together, formed this great country, and have achieved greatness. Destroying this would eradicate all former glory, plunging the country into complete chaos. God has ordained the first two estates to rule over the third, just as God ordained Man to rule over the beasts of the earth. Not to rule with injustice, but to be their guide for this life. It is not a matter of power, but of morality. This system has and will continue to keep the world at peace. If everyone believed that they are equal, who should stop them from killing one another to rise to power? The streets would be filled with the blood of your sons, your grandsons, and your great-grandsons. Do you want this nightmare to become your reality?
ReplyDeleteSo my fellow Frenchmen, remember what I have said. Do the first and Second estate hold more privilege, as Abbie Sieyes states? Nay, I say. The first and Second estates do not hold any privileges in the least. No. More so, we are persevering through the strenuous duties that have been chain us down daily:
Wars.
Population.
Security.
Food production.
Taxes.
Laws.
Infrastructure.
Jobs.
Education.
This is of course only a glimpse of the eternal list of grievances that we, the first and Second estate must ponder over, and make decisions, in the best interest of the people.
Do you want to join in our misery?
Viva la France!
Viva la King Louis XVI!
Love,
Mickaël V, Bishop of Paris
Without the third estate, this nation would not be a nation for sure. There would be no one to put a nation into movement. With that being said, without nobles such as myself, our nation would surly crash and burn. Nothing would be in a secure order, and madness would become reality. Without the first estate, nothing would ever be sufficient. With us, the first estate, we allow success and control to be put into action for the third estate to build from.
ReplyDeleteYou may think bigger of yourselves because you are actually doing all the labor, but in true reality, the first estate does all the work by making it possible for the third estate to live in the nation. Us nobles are educated enough to know right from wrong in a nation. We aren't the ones providing you success as people, we are allowing the third estate to grow from the state in which we made possible for them.
I believe that the third estate people are important to keeping a nation growing, but not from keeping a nation from surviving. We need to be strong as a nation, so myself and my other peers believe that the first estate is what really allows a nation to live and grow. Third estates play a big role, but without nobles from the first estate, no nation would exist.
- Sydney
What is needed for a nation to survive and do well? I’ll tell you what is needed. A nation requires proper, educated people to make important decisions for the good of the nation. A nation needs experienced people who actually know what they are doing and know how to run the nation. Without us, what will become of the nation? It will turn into a chaotic mess, with no one to help control it and to keep it in order. Hence overall, whose fault would it be for the failure of the nation? Third estate people.
ReplyDeleteYou want honest words? I'll give you honest words. Without us, there would be no you. You would go completely out of hand, having no experience whatsoever in handling something that is utterly beyond your capability. You people from the third estate require us to restrict you and in doing so, we help bring the best out of you. We help you become masters of what you do. What a win-win situation! But instead of being thankful, you turn your back right around and spread nonsense. You are such ungrateful deceivers.
Here you are - digging hard into the ground to find fault in our doing, when you can so easily find reason and goodness in what we do for you. I suggest all of you go home and think of how wrong it is for you to even have the slightest idea that you can do well without us. Do you really think that you have the capability to overthrow us? That you can be better off without us? Before you start protesting and going against my questions, here is a reality check - you NEED us.
Wanting the best for you,
- Your dearest and noble French Noble.
(haha get it?)
What would this feeble abbey know about keeping a "society going"? He speaks as if he has forgotten our noble lineage. We the descendants of this ancestry enjoy privileges because of our destiny. The force that governs the universe has chosen US to be the privileged. They cannot blame us for their fate. The abbey speaks of how "human work makes the gifts of nature even better ". He then requests for an exponential increase in the value of agricultural products. Our small but important estate is being mocked by this abbey. His statements show his ignorance towards the second estate. We may be a small populace but our actions and words speak exponentially louder than any other estate; therefore the country is run by us. We nobles, the gifts of nature, have been crafted by education. Just like how the abbey identifies more value in agricultural products because of the work put into growing them, the third estate should see more value in the second estate because of our achieved intelligence. Society is "going" right now without the need of his listed factors. It is a pity that only a few were selected to participate in the second estate. Commoners from the third estate should mind their own fate and accept their humble lives.
ReplyDelete-“Duke Harviéa IV”
Mickaël V, Bishop of Paris, I disagree the brain is still useful without a foot, but they do achieve greatness when they are together.
ReplyDeleteAs a noble woman, I do consider what the third estate have to say about our position in society. However, I believe that the accusations made against us, are not entirely true. There is always a second side to a situation. Here are my visions of our importance (the second estate) in society:
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, all categories described by Sieyes were about labor working people with great ability to work. however, what is ability without knowledge? What is the point of playing an instrument without hands? We the nobility are your hands! And the third estate the instrument. We are educated people with knowledge of what needs to be done for the nation, not only for individuals but for all citizens.
Second of all, the third estate might disagree with our way of living but we have got this far due to intelligence, education and character. People like me, have our own abilities. I might not have been born for physical work but perhaps for negotiation with others. I might not be able to work in the fields but I'm in the city making the best of all my inheritance. The nobles are the ones who help the nation to grow. think of it as a process, you make it, I sell it. After all, we create new jobs opportunities and new ideas to make the country grow.
"One hand washes the other" - Ms. Flavia Bond
This is Yiran's comment:
ReplyDeleteI understand that the third estate is extremely important to our nation. I give you credit for trying to emphasis that. But by no means are the first and second estate less important. Every single person is respected and needed in our society. We, the nobles are the ones who create the nation. We are the ones that keep the nation in tact. A nation can not be ruled without a leader. The monarchy respects their people equality and does not only "take care of the privileged." The royal family is messengers of God along with the Clergy, God educated us and gave us the power to protect France. Contradicting us is contradicting God, Abbe Sieyes is part of the Clergy, he should know better. He recieves his pay every month and here he is, digging at what we have done wrong. So may I ask – Abbe Sieyes Why not take a hard look at yourself, no one is perfect, but we are doing the best we can do. Please do not be brain-washed by this disrespectful document put out by Abbe Sieyes. To follow his footsteps and disrespect the monarchy would create utter chaos and disaster. We know that our commoners are better than that. We all deserve to be treated with respect. I am sure that we as citizens of the France Nation all have dignity, integrity and respect. Have faith in your monarchy, have faith in France.
Vive la France.
Vive le Roi.
Sincerely yours,
Madame Yiran
“Does not the Third Estate carry all that is really painful, all the burdens that the privileged classes refuse to carry.” Are you kidding me? Did you forget to add “jk” at the end? WE carry the burdens that the third estate CAN’T! WE are actually doing the most painful, and disturbing job, it’s called THINKING FOR YOU ALL USELESS PIECES OF CRAPS. If only they have a brain with the size of a peanut and be a little smarter than those rocks sit beside the road, THEN you talk about easing our pains. Their stupidity is killing us slowly but yet, we give them a place to work in! How magnificent and kindly are WE? And how dare you to judge our capability and responsibility with your underdeveloped mind?
ReplyDeleteWe possess the Royal Blood, just by the speaking of it already fascinate the crap out of you guys, and yet you judge our mighty privileges? “Who shall dare to tell me that the Third Estate does not have within itself all that is necessary for the formation of a complete nation?” Challenge accepted. They possess the strength for physical labor, but are they strong enough to carry France on their shoulder? They have a clear mind for what and what not to farm, but do they know what and what not to do when facing other countries? They have the experience of seeding, but do they have the experience to solve different problems during the harshest time and situation? I think the formation of a nation takes a little bit more than physical labor. Oh I’m sure if running a country doesn’t require knowledge, they will probably be the best, but no, so that’s why they need us. Did that answer your question? Do I still have to explain why do we have such privileges? Just in case, we have the privileges because WE CAN. Now, SHUT YOUR MOUTH before the soldiers burn you alive.
- Gordobello Louis XIV
PS: L'abbé Sieyès, n'hésitez pas à cracher un peu plus de ton venin, nous traitons cela comme une blague
Wow.. Sir Gordobello Louis XIV .. chillout..
ReplyDeleteSir. Abbe Sieyes, I think you should think before you say something because you’ve just angered a lot of the pleasant nobles here.
You must have lost your mind. How dare you say the commoners carry the burdens that we, the nobles refuse to carry? How could you say that the Third Estate work for nothing? We, the nobles, are the ones to drive our society forward; we do not weaken our nation but strengthen it! It is true, that the commoners do physical work, but the nobles work for the nation as well, we contribute more than you people do. We are the ones to give works for you commoners. We are the ones to pay, to feed, to dress, you commoners. It is nonsense to say that without the nobles, the Third Estate will be stronger and free. It is true that the commoners have abilities to work, but the nobles have the knowledge, to guide y’all through. Without our lead, the Third Estate would fall apart. We are the fuel, to keep our nation driving. Without us, you commoners wouldn’t be able to sustain their lives. I’d say nothing can succeed without the Second Estate.
I’m very disappointed to see that no commoners understand how we feel, no gratitude but instead, stab us like this. We feel guilty, receiving taxes. We feel shame, when the government increases taxes. It is not our fault, that the government is not changing its constitution; we did not ask for this.
I do not blame you for your nonsense Sir, because this only proves to us, that YOU are nonsense.
Sincerely,
- Jan é L’amour
Who are you to brainwash them with your ideas? You’re just a mere clergyman; you can’t change the fate of these people by just blaming us for their misery. Do you have any idea how important our role is? The Second Estate has sustained the Third Estate many decades ago. We have provided jobs for the commoners and a place for them to live in. How dare you say that we are “not useful to the nation”! They are useless without us! We are the educated ones in here, and we are the ones who guide them to success.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you’ve made a point, the Third Estate does most of the labor, but in no case it is itself a nation. It needs both the First and Second Estate to become a whole. The King makes most of the decisions while, us the nobles; we supply the peasants with land and protection. Without one or the other France would collapse into chaos. France has been fighting decades of wars and we all have to pay for its military service. The work the peasants do is for the benefit of our nation's needs. For example, the food production, weapons, trade, clothes etc.
-Lady Lisette (aka Lisa)
Dear Abbe Sieyes, I feel that your statements and words were out of line and untrue. We the nobles, pay for new buildings to be built, give common people food, and generously give common people land. The more privileged people are useful to the nation, simply because without privileged people, what jobs would the common people have? Who would pay the roof over their heads? The nation would run mad without strict hierarchical structure.
ReplyDeleteIf there was no hierarchical structure, the nation would no longer be civil, and we soon would run out of money as the common people would not know how to manage it. As well, if everyone was a noble and there were no common people, our economy would run out of line because of the constant want for everything. We need people that can make wise decisions for the nation, and those people are the nobles. Life would be a mess and matters would become worse.
The nobles do contribute to daily life and having hierarchical structure is very necessary.
-Marie le noble
Goodness gracious! What in the world is the third estate saying about us nobles? Saying us if we are "pretending" to be useful to this society. I bet on my words that the rear hind of my dog is cleaner than you third estate’s hand! As you can see, we nobles have one of the most important jobs of all man kind. I, upon my words ask, what do you dirty monkeys that call youself the third estate consider useful to our society? What have we done wrong? We nobles are the ones who pay you third estates the money to feed your family, if we do not live this luxurious life, you tell me where would the money come from? We are the ones who give you the opportunity to make use of your outer shell; where comes all this complaint? We are in trouble of our taxes, and unhappy of your tax increases. Is it that third estate is jealous of our wealth? Well, we nobles are born to live this life, with money and knowledge. Sucks on you that no knowledge is applied to your brain. So, I do think that third estate shall zip yo mouth, and I continue to life my life in luxury. Peace on you all.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Anthony XVII
What is the meaning of this blasphemy? How dare you insist the Third Estate is ignored and under-valued! The Third Estate is a crucial part of our society that all nobility have acknowledged! We understand better than anyone that the Third Estate drives this nation forward, but as nobles we must carry out our roles in society in order to ensure harmony among subjects of the King. To say that “the government only looks after a particular class and now that class has become fat beyond all measure.” Is an insult of the greatest degree, ESPECIALLY coming from someone of the First Estate. Who are you to throw yourselves in with the Third Estate? You have never lifted a hoe, or spade, let alone dealt with the affairs of nobility. Your designated purpose is to carry out the will of God and by doing so, create harmony within our society. How dare you defy His wishes by attempting to destroy the carefully crafted walls of society that have supported this great nation of France through its tremulous times? The Third Estate may farm the lands and provide for the population but WHO provides the supplies for them to do so? WHO takes care of the Third Estate? WHO brings them work and supplies them with homes? WE do! We may not be taxed heavily but WE have to pay for everything that happens on our land! Just the other day, a servant I borrowed from Lord Alex LeSantos, destroyed my newly plated crops. WHO do you think pays for that? Do you members of the Third Estate pay for it? NO! I have to pay for it! A bad crop affects not only myself, but YOU as well! We are the Second Estate, without us, you are nothing. We run the lands, we make the decisions, and most importantly, we look after all of you.
ReplyDeleteFrodo,
Lord of the Rings.
PS. Lord Ales LeSantos, sorry about the horse..I hit it with my carriage as I was backing out of the barn. I send you my dearest regrets.
ReplyDeleteExcuse me Sir Abbie Sieyes? Have I read this correctly? How can you say we are of non-importance? Without us, you all would be lost, society will not have any order and it would be a complete mess. Who will protect you from foreign threats or even simple enemies? Do you truly believe that the Third Estate has the power and knowledge to run France to be a thriving nation without us? I do not think so. Maybe you should think first before you give such ideas to the commoners, you are in a way giving them false hope. And plus a zebra can’t change its stripes and you sir can’t change yours neither can the nobles nor the citizens of the Third Estate. We were born into nobility and everyone in the Third Estate is and always will be born as a commoner. This has been so for an exceedingly long period of time. Shouldn’t you and the Third Estate be in high spirits of what you have, because one day that could all be gone in a blink of an eye.
ReplyDeleteI do admire your courage in going against us nobles and making such disrespectful accusations, if it were I, I would consider raising your taxes, putting you in jail just in spite of this pamphlet but since us nobles are respectful people and we understand that sometimes a person has a slip up. I will allow you to return to your normal life, but be warned that if this gets out and you continue to brainwash the innocent commoners with these toxic ideas, nothing good will happen.
Plus who will you have to look up to and worship?
Yours truly,
Dame Vuissance
What is the Third Estate?
ReplyDeleteWhat is needed for a nation to survive and do well?
Order and organized social structure.
It is non-sense that Abbe Sieyes claims we nobility are “pretended [useful]”. We nobles are responsible to fight for our country, in order to protect not only our King, but everyone, including the Third Estate. Third Estate is not the only ones who performs “burdensome...service”. While you selfish common people pays only food as taxes, we nobles sacrifice our life! If there are not brave nobles like us, our nation will never survive! Who are the ones that have their family members kill by our enemies in order for the nation to survive? Who are the ones that fight ever so fearlessly for the country? The third estate? No! It’s us people from the Second Estate! It is really such a “privilege” for us to collect these little taxes in order to keep our knights strong and healthy so they can protect our nation?
Also, I do not agree with Sieyes’ theory of a nation can run base on the three categories. As we can see, all three categories are production workers, how would they know what to produce? Furthermore, how can a nation run on purely a group of uneducated, and majority illiterate man? The French nation requires well educated man like us to guide and keep our country in the correct path! Plus, if the second estate, and the estate system as a whole are worthless, why could it stand for 300 years?
Lord Afda Flies
What is needed for a nation to survive and do well?
ReplyDeleteThe noblemen of France are Important for our nation's survival. We are the backbone of society and petty commoners such as yourself are our limbs. Without our support, society will break apart bringing an unexpected chaos - chaos that we aristocrats keep under control. Rebellion against the King and Aristocrats such as myself is selfish where you only think about yourselves.We provide jobs and shelter and in return all we ask is a payment for our generosity.
For over a hundred years we have lived together, so why should the destruction of the system we live now change? God had assigned us to a specific duty, where uneducated commoners shall do what is required of manual labour and I do the job that had been bestowed on me by birth right. Who are you to say we are not important? Were you a part of the second estate and know how hard life is for many of us? We have to work just as hard, though not as laborious. We are a security for your well being so that you can support your family. We are the decision makers involving many lives under us, something third estates like yourself will never have to go through.
"What is a nation?" you say... "A body of associates, living under a common law, and represented by the same legislation" - under the King of France, the supreme. We need to stay together, or else all is lost, all that many of our ancestors have fought and lived for would disappear. We are the minority, yet the most valuable, you should rethink your ideas before you doom us all.
Viva Le France,
Viva Le King Louis XVI
Sincerely, Lord D.C.
What nonsense! The system that our glorious nation of France has run by for decades at the least seems a suitable method for the people. The three estates divide us into different roles and responsibilities, but with equality and balance. The nation is built through the blood and sweat of all members of the estates, as not only the Third Estate forms the whole. I, a noble, must speak of this argument a misled claim. The government treats the civilians of this liberal nation fairly. The same amount of work is expected from members of the Third Estate as those from a higher class. Who else but the nobles are maintaining the order and peace to run this nation? It looks safe to say that the manual labor that the people of the lower class put in is the same in difficulty as the management and administration that the higher nobility offers France. Our special privileges are what allow us to keep up the hard work. So to say the government looks only after the nobility is utterly ignorant. The tax that is collected from the Third Estate is required to fund the development and growth of our nation. None of the upper class’s interest is directed towards self-oriented desires, but rather towards the will to provide suitable living standards for the common people. Instead of shackling and oppressing, as thy is accusing the government of doing, we are simply following God. The Church is entitled to their privileges, for their men are working for God and it is without a doubt that the greatest worshippers of the Lord should be granted a few more comforts. The system that France follows roots from the teachings of God and withdrawing from that shouldn’t be even spoken of. Is thy suggesting that God is wrong? Who shall dare call the greatest followers of the Lord “fat beyond all measure”? The country couldn’t possibly be run without the governing of the nobles. The streets would be filled with chaos and mayhem. A burden is carried by those who have to work for the Third Estate. However, we are all a nation.
ReplyDeleteNoble Jimmy
As a member of the second estate I humbly disagree. We, the second estate, work the same amount of hours as you of the third estate do. We work just as hard, if not harder than you. You may bare the physical burdens of this Nation but we bare the Mental and Political burdens, the second estate thinks up the ideas that make this Nation great. We are paid equally considering the strenuous responsibilities bestowed upon us, and you are paid equally considering the simplicity of your tasks.
ReplyDeleteOnce more, You must be proud to call yourself French, you must be proud to be born into such a prosperous Nation. Yet you criticize and complain the very people that made this Country glorious.
- KrystleMorley
Mr Abbe Sieyes your opinion is not appreciated by the people in the second estate. The difference in the 3 estates had been established for hundreds of years, what makes you think that your the one to stand up against us and say this is wrong and try and brainwash other citizens to change this sytem, don't be full of yourself cause your just one of the third estate, nothing special. Blame your ancestors and the destiny that was set up for making who you are right now. WE the nobles had continued and inherit our pure royal blood and we are more educated then you peoples, so there's no doubt that we should be more superior and deserve a better quality of life then you people. So please stop whining about how your treated unequally, but live a life that God had planned for you.
ReplyDeleteWhat is this gibberish? By what means do you think that the second or first estate is any less valuable than the third? The main issue is that what you are asking for "equality" cannot be carried out. Do you think that this country just prospered by itself? In order for a flourishing country like our very own, France, there mus be a balance. You commoners are asking to break that act. Everything in this world is made with a balance, in order for one to win, another must fall, and for there to be the wealthy, there must be the poor. We nobles have devised a great system for everyone to follow, there is no easy way out. Without us there would not be a so called nation! We are the foundation this country! We offer you security and supply you with occupation. Though we havent experienced hard physical labour does not mean we did not work to get where we are today! Taxes should be but the slightest concern and only a display of gratitude to what we have done for you people.
ReplyDeleteLord Daniel R xo