WhatistheThirdEstate?

AbbSieys
Theplanofthisbookisfairlysimple.Wemustaskourselvesthreequestions.

1.WhatistheThirdEstate?Everything.

2.Whathasitbeenuntilnowinthepoliticalorder?Nothing.

3.Whatdoesitwanttobe?Something....

WhothenshalldaretosaythattheThirdEstatehasnotwithinitselfallthatisnecessaryfortheformation
ofacompletenation?Itisthestrongandrobustmanwhohasonearmstillshackled.Iftheprivileged
ordershouldbeabolished,thenationwouldbenothingless,butsomethingmore.Therefore,whatisthe
ThirdEstate?Everythingbutaneverythingshackledandoppressed.Whatwoulditbewithoutthe
privilegedorder?Everything,butaneverythingfreeandflourishing.Nothingcansucceedwithoutit,
everythingwouldbeinfinitelybetterwithouttheothers.

Itisnotsufficienttoshowthatprivilegedpersons,farfrombeingusefultothenation,cannotbutenfeeble
andinjureititisnecessarytoprovefurtherthatthenobleorderdoesnotenteratallintothesocial
organizationthatitmayindeedbeaburdenuponthenation,butthatitcannotofitselfconstituteanation.

Inthefirstplace,itisnotpossibleinthenumberofalltheelementarypartsofanationtofindaplacefor
thecasteofnobles.Iknowthatthereareindividualsingreatnumberwhominfirmities,incapacity,
incurablelaziness,ortheweightofbadhabitsrenderstrangerstothelaborsofsociety.Theexceptionand
theabuseareeverywherefoundbesidetherule.Butitwillbeadmittedthatthelessthereareofthese
abuses,thebetteritwillbefortheState.Theworstpossiblearrangementofallwouldbewherenotalone
isolatedindividuals,butawholeclassofcitizensshouldtakeprideinremainingmotionlessinthemidstof
thegeneralmovement,andshouldconsumethebestpartoftheproductwithoutbearinganypartinits
production.Suchaclassissurelyestrangedtothenationbyitsindolence.

Thenobleorderisnotlessestrangedfromthegeneralityofusbyitscivilandpoliticalprerogatives.

Whatisanation?Abodyofassociates,livingunderacommonlaw,andrepresentedbythesame
legislature,etc.

Isitnotevidentthatthenobleorderhasprivilegesandexpenditureswhichitdarestocallitsrights,but
whichareapartfromtherightsofthegreatbodyofcitizens?Itdepartstherefromthecommonlaw.Soits
civilrightsmakeofitanisolatedpeopleinthemidstofthegreatnation.Thisistrulyimperiuminimperia.

TheThirdEstateembracesthenallthatwhichbelongstothenationandallthatwhichisnottheThird
Estate,cannotberegardedasbeingofthenation.

WhatistheThirdEstate?

Itiseverything.

1.
BeforetheFrenchRevolution,theFrenchnobilityarguedthatitoperatedtoholdtogether
thenationandsocialorder.DoesAbbSieysagreewiththisidea?Whyorwhynot?

2.
SummarizethecomplaintsAbbSieysmakesregardingthenobility.

3.
ImaginethatyouareaFrenchpersonreadingAbbSieys'pamphletinearly1789,just
beforethemeetingoftheEstatesGeneral.Asamemberofthenobility,howmightyou
react?HowmightyoureactasamemberoftheThirdEstate?Explainyouranswer.