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Primary sourceDocument1792

The Ghosts of Public Opinion

Olympe de Gouges · 1792

A 1792 pamphlet by Olympe de Gouges discussing public opinion and King Louis XVI.

Gouges wrote this pamphlet reflecting on public opinion and the fate of Louis XVI.

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The Ghosts of Public OpinionPDF · 8 pages
Olympe de Gouges, Les fantômes de l'opinion publique, 1792. Scanned pamphlet, Internet Archive.

About this source

What it is

This printed pamphlet was written by Olympe de Gouges in 1792. It compares public opinion to a spoiled child and discusses patriotism and the king, Louis XVI. It survives as a scanned pamphlet in a library collection.

Why it matters

Written as the Revolution deepened and the position of Louis XVI grew more precarious, this pamphlet shows Gouges reflecting critically on how public opinion shifts and how patriotism could be used or misused. It reveals her as a sharp, independent political commentator willing to criticise both the fickle crowd and those in power.

Look closer

  • What does comparing public opinion to a 'spoiled child' suggest about Gouges's view of the public?
  • Why might she have written about Louis XVI specifically in 1792, a tense period for the monarchy?
  • What risks might a writer take by publicly criticising public opinion during a revolution?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Olympe de Gouges on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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