Citoyenneté, Suffrage Universel et Franc-maçonnerie

Abstract

This article investigates the evolution of ideas and representations concerning universal suffrage and participative citizenship within Belgian freemasonry in the second half of the long nineteenth century. As Belgium evolved from a system of census suffrage (1831) to tempered universal suffrage (1893), the masons put their ideas, definitions and representations of citizenship up for discussion. To better understand this process of questioning and redefining of notions of suffrage, capacity, citizenship and sovereignty of the nation, use is made of theoretical insights provided by Pierre Rosanvallon and Siep Stuurman. Their models and hypotheses will contribute to a better understanding of the interactions between masons of different political tendencies and their positions towards the developments outside temple walls.