In the pamphlet, Sieyès argues that the third estate – the common people of France – constituted a complete nation within itself, providing in the end all the men necessary to man the army, to staff the churches, to administer the law, and every other operation of society. It therefore had no need of the dead weight of the two other orders – the first and second estates of the, respectively, clergy and aristocracy – which Sieyès suggested abolishing.
In his pamphlet, Sieyès asserts that the third estate, comprising the common folk of France, constitutes a self-sufficient nation, capable of fulfilling all essential roles in society, including military service, ecclesiastical duties, governance, and other vital functions. This, he argues, renders it unnecessary to rely on the two other estates – the clergy and nobility – which he suggests abolishing.