The transformation of public opinion in medieval and modern society of France

The current article deals with the problem of transforming fama (as rumour, reputation) in medieval France and its comparison with the category of public opinion emerging in the eighteenth cen tury in France. In the Middle Ages the status of a person was determined by its membership in a community. Fama as a regulator of public relations appeared in the traditional society of medieval France, in the framework of personal communication. In the early Middle Ages the community had autonomy in the formulation of norms, maintaining social order and the administration of justice. Fama about a person and fama about a crime allowed the community to realize the function of social control and justice. Community formed a fama about all its member. A person's actions created the foundation for bad and good fama or reputation. A community could lower the social status of its members by special procedure of infamia (infamy), depriving its members of her good fama. In such a way, the community gave certain patterns of behavior. Fama about a crime was a «collective voice», the rumour about the crime. With fama about a crime the community had a good chance to pursue the criminal. During the High Middle Ages the function of administration of justice became the function of the institutions of state. At the same time, fama became an important part of the criminal proceeding. In the 18th century, the new features of the public space of France began to appear. Public space is formed by the practices of public communication, as a space of free expression of opinions and rational discussions. The public became an observer, had the right to judge about all processes in society and determined public opinion. At the same time, public opinion had a function of social control as a tribunal of public and remained independent of state regulation.