Fransız Devrimi Öncesinde Toplumun İzleri: Kamusal Alanın Sac Ayakları

Abstract

Examination of the mechanism of the changes in history demands to propagate into the formations in the background. Considering the political, social and structural transformations, the atmosphere in Pre-revolutionary France provides a good example for the people’s development under these formations which exert influence on the public sphere through freemasonry, salons, and academia. These formations can be discerned as heuristic tools through which people produce new ideas and exchange these thoughts in an intellectual environment. In light of these, the purpose of this study is to present three tenets of the public sphere in 18th century France: freemasonry, salons, and academia. As these three components correspond to the formation of a public opinion and public sphere; freemasonry, salons, and academia can be regarded as the nucleus of extensive freedom of thought and sharing. Thus, this article will display the dynamics of these three trivets and reveal how they contribute to the intellectual mindset of society.