rights of man, n.Definitions

The Rights of Man (n.) are ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a gift of nature nor a legacy of history but the reward of a struggle against the accident of birth.

The Rights of Man (n.) need ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠no establishing — God has already done that; dismiss God and what remains vacant is the place of the rights of God.

The Rights of Man (n.) mean ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠for the modern state what the recognition of slavery meant for the ancient one: the recognition of its own natural basis — here, the egoistic man of civil society.

The Rights of Man (n.) do ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not free man from religion but give him freedom of religion; do not free him from property but give him freedom of property; do not free him from the filth of gain but give him freedom of gainful occupation.

The Rights of Man (n.) are ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a compromised phraseology, claimed only by people too weak to defend their 'rights of Englishmen' and enforce their own laws.

The Rights of Man (n.) are ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠nothing but the rights of a member of civil society — the rights of egoistic man, separated from other men and from the community.