Chapman, Jane (2005) Republican citizenship, ethics and the French revolutionary press 1789-92. Ethical Space: the International Journal of Communication Ethics, 2 (1). pp. 7-12. ISSN 1742-0105

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Abstract

This paper examines the role of the revolutionary press in France in the realisation of the Enlightenment notion of “public opinion”. The press, it is argued, saw itself as advancing civic republicanism based on public service as opposed to the liberal, individualistic ethic of today. Exploring the relevance of Habermas’s theories of discourse ethics and MacIntyre’s notions of “communitarianism”, the paper argues that the revolutionary press promoted a “democratisation” of honour. The conclusion draws on the theories of Sandel to argue that newspapers provided the crucial narratives by which people made sense of their condition and interpreted their shared experiences at a time of revolutionary upheaval.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This paper examines the role of the revolutionary press in France in the realisation of the Enlightenment notion of “public opinion”. The press, it is argued, saw itself as advancing civic republicanism based on public service as opposed to the liberal, individualistic ethic of today. Exploring the relevance of Habermas’s theories of discourse ethics and MacIntyre’s notions of “communitarianism”, the paper argues that the revolutionary press promoted a “democratisation” of honour. The conclusion draws on the theories of Sandel to argue that newspapers provided the crucial narratives by which people made sense of their condition and interpreted their shared experiences at a time of revolutionary upheaval.
Keywords:	French revolutionary press, Civic republicanism, Ethics, Citizenship, jc2010, Marat, Habermas, MacIntyre, communitarianism, Sandel, public opinion, Hebert, Enlightment, de Tocqueville, Robespierre, Desmoulins
Subjects:	V Historical and Philosophical studies > V221 French History P Mass Communications and Documentation > P500 Journalism
Divisions:	College of Arts > Faculty of Media, Humanities & Performance > Lincoln School of Journalism
Depositing User:	Jane Chapman
Date Deposited:	07 Sep 2007
Last Modified:	03 Apr 2013 08:47
URI:	http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/id/eprint/1133

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