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The fun thing about the old-Timey inscription is that they tend to describe not just the solution, but also the problem: “E pluribus unum”. “One from many” hi
by IAmEveryone 9y ago
The fun thing about the old-Timey inscription is that they tend to describe not just the solution, but also the problem:
“E pluribus unum”. “One from many” hints at the problem of a society of immigrants. Similarity, “liberté, egalité, franternité” starts with two competing goals (freedom and equality), then offers a bridge between the two: solidarity (fraterinté literally means something like “brotherlieness”)
- lucio 9y agoI'm not an historian, but I think “E pluribus unum” and “liberté, egalité, franternité” should be analyzed in the context of their own time. “liberté, egalité, franternité” was a war cry promoting brotherly union against monarchy. "freedom" and "equality before the law" are not competing goals, but were revolutionary ideas on their time. If you said to a member of a royal family back then: "I believe all men are created equal", you could be imprisoned and executed, depending on his majesty's will. That's because your ideas jeopardized the foundations of monarchy.
- baud147258 9y ago"liberté, egalité, franternité" only appeared after the start of the revolution. And it was not used as the official motto until the third Republic at the end of the 19th century. Edit: and regarding the last part, I don't think it's true, since the king's power was limited, by the various intistutions and other local powers.