Mme de Staël and public opinion

Abstract

　Historians take for granted the view that Mme de Staël's opinion on public opinion followed that of her father, Jacques Necker. In this report, I place emphasis on the difference between them. I insist that following the salon tradition derived from early modern France, Mme de Staël placed women at the heart of her image of public opinion, so that it differs from her father’s view of public opinion that reflects the position of the finance minister.